Blurring the lines
by mozartmaid
Summary: What if Lois remembered her trip to the future during the Doomsday/Pandora arc? This story explores the possibilities.
1. Chapter 1

The ring… somehow it was all tied to that strange ring...

As Lois came to consciousness at Met Gen, her mind focused on the ring she had put on while getting into a knock-down fight with Tess at the Planet over some deranged rant about an alien orb. After slipping it on her finger, all she remembered was a flash of light… She had no idea how long she had been out of it, but she had awoken on one of the high-speed city trains with some mad assassin woman on her tail. Lois had barely had a chance to process that before the train derailed, sending her crashing into the back window of the train. That accident evidently, had landed her here in the hospital.

She was lucky to be alive.

She wondered who had brought her here… a stranger? Her heart thrilled a little at the possibility that it could have been the Blur—she vividly remembered her last conversation with him. He had left a letter for her to print, in case he didn't make it in his attempt to rescue Chloe. She swallowed the fear that welled up in her if hadn't made it. It was almost midnight. If the Blur was still alive, she needed to get to that phone booth and-

"Lois! Where have you been? What happened to you?" Chloe said, coming to Lois' bedside to give her a hug.

Lois took her cousin in her arms, relieved that she was okay. "I don't know… All I remember was Tess rambling about some alien orb. Then we threw down in the middle of the Daily Planet and wham, I woke up in a monorail car with some ninja chick after me."

Chloe patted Lois' arm, and then reached up to brush aside her bangs to reveal a bruise on her forehead. "Alien orb? Lo, I think you just bumped your head in the accident. Where have you been?" Chloe asked again, her brow wrinkled with worry.

Lois brushed aside Chloe's hand, ignoring her concern for her wounds. "Where have_ I _been? You were the one playing Thelma and Louise with the Creature from the Black Lagoon," Lois shook her head. "How did you manage to ditch Davis?"

"Well, I didn't exactly-" Chloe began nervously.

Lois suddenly figured what must have happened and smiled, "It was the Red-Blue Blur, wasn't it? I knew it. He promised me he'd save you and he did. That means he's still alive," she said, hope shining in her eyes. At the same moment, she realized that she needed to get a move on if she was going to meet him at midnight... Not only had he saved Chloe, but herself as well. "He saved the train, too, didn't he?" Lois asked, seeking confirmation.

Chloe looked back at her cousin, dumbfounded. "You've been talking to the Blur?"

Lois ignored the recrimination in her cousin's tone, unable to hide her smile or the truth. "Yes, he sort of confides in me," Lois acknowledged with some amount of pride.

"Of course he does," Chloe grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Lois overlooked her cousin's concern over her talking with the Blur as her eyes suddenly flickered past the clock again. "It's late," she said, knowing she needed to get a move on if she was going to make her midnight rendezvous with the Blur.

Lois started gathering her things, but Chloe tried to stop her. "Lois you are way beyond late, okay? I kind of need to drop a bomb on you…"

"Chloe, I have to talk to the Blur. He's the only one who can help me escape the jaws of crouching tigers," Lois said, slipping her cell phone into her pocket. "I'm sorry, Chloe. Whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait."

Chloe shook her head and tried to maneuver Lois back into bed as she said, "Lois, you really should take it easy-"

Lois realized she wasn't getting out of there with her overly concerned cousin in her way, so she momentarily relented. "Okay, you know what? You're right. I… I probably just took one on the noggin and now I'm flipping out. I think I could use a sedative," she said with a placating smile, moving towards getting back into bed.

Chloe turned sympathetic eyes on her. "I'll get you two."

Lois waited until Chloe had left the room before she slid out from under the covers. Her head was slamming with a headache, but she couldn't worry about that. She needed to get to that phone booth.

She left all of her belongings behind, knowing Chloe would come back and take care of things. Besides, she had less than ten minutes to make it five city blocks away. She had no time to lose.

Lois walked out of her hospital room, ruefully acknowledging to herself that she'd been there so many times, she knew exactly where to go to get out of there quickly. She spotted Chloe down at the nurse's station and turned the other way, sprinting for the front doors.

Lois took off down the street, wondering why her body felt like she had been through boot camp. She was a jogger, rarely missing her morning run, and yet she felt out of shape and bruised. Had Tess really done such a brutal number on her?

Half a block away from the meeting point, she realized she was already late. She glanced at the city clock, which read two minutes after midnight. But she had to try, had to talk to him…

Out of breath, Lois reached the phone booth and grabbed the handset. "Hello?" she said into the phone, trying to catch her breath. When there was no answer, she refused to panic, refused to believe that he hadn't called. "Maybe you're not answering—because you are here," she said hopefully, half to herself.

"Hello?" she called out to the empty street, looking around her for any sign that the Blur was nearby. "I know what you did for Chloe. At least let me thank you," she called out. When she didn't get any response, she started to worry that being late had been an unforgivable mistake. "Look, I'm sorry I'm late. I promise you can trust me!" she called out with some desperation. Maybe it was the headache or her confusion, but she suddenly felt anxious to make contact with him. She may have been a few minutes late, but the Blur wouldn't abandon her now, would he? "Please, I know you're out there somewhere," she said, almost frantic, spinning around, looking for a shadow or anything to hint that he was nearby. But all she saw was a lonely streetlight and buildings around her. "Where are you?" she whispered to the night sky.

Suddenly, it was too much for her. As her head throbbed with pain, she dropped to her knees on the pavement. She felt nauseated and the sense that she had lost something, or missed something vital overwhelmed her. Tears sprang to her eyes, yet she wiped them fiercely away.

Why did she suddenly feel so abandoned?

~\S/~

Lois realized she must have blacked out. When she awoke, she was still at 4th and Main, just a few feet from the phone booth where the Blur was supposed to have called her. Her head was still pounding, but she managed to stagger to her feet.

Just in time, too. There was a bum making his way over to her, mumbling something about spare change, with a leering look in his eye.

Normally, she might feel a bit more charitable and at least pass a guy like him a few coins, but she had left most of her things back at the hospital. Besides, she was in no mood to be fending off wayward hobos.

She glanced at the large clock tower that loomed over Metropolis, where Oliver used to live, and noticed it was almost 4 in the morning. She wasn't far from his penthouse, and she figured his place would be her best bet for a place to crash at this time of night.

The front desk immediately recognized her, but told her Oliver Queen wasn't home. When she asked where he was, they brushed her away, saying they couldn't give out personal information.

Lois pulled out her cell phone as she left the building, exhausted and her head filled with questions. She tried Ollie's cell, though all she got was his answering service. With frustration, she left a message: ""I don't know where you've disappeared to, but I'm already low on one superhero today and I have some she-ninja after me." She clicked the phone closed, debating. Who else could she call at 4 in the morning? She didn't want to hear Chloe rant about her sneaking out of the hospital or put her in danger if this assassin chick showed again, so calling her was out. And Clark…Lois didn't think he would come to her rescue this time. He had seemed so closed off and wrapped up in his own enigmas the other night that she wasn't sure he'd even talk to her. Besides, she wasn't sure what Clark could even do about her ninja stalker, especially if he was tucked into bed in Smallville. Regardless, Lois didn't want to face him like this: dirty, disoriented, and disheartened.

Lois wandered woefully around the city, wondering why the Blur hadn't been at their meeting point like he promised. She was certain he had survived fighting that creature that had taken Chloe—her cousin's hospital visit and her own survival of the train wreck had proven that…

So, why hadn't he met her?

Lois found herself back at the site of the train accident. She stepped inside to look for clues. The morning rays were starting to lighten the skies of Metropolis. She could head to the Planet in another hour or two and get a change of clothes at least.

Lois scoured the wreckage, uncertain what she was even looking for. Perhaps the ring? When had she lost it? Was it here?

She picked up a scrap of black cloth, recognizing it as having been worn by her ninja assassin. But that seemed to be her only clue. Lois spotted a newspaper nearby with the Daily Planet masthead, but she didn't recognize the headlines from the last edition. She picked it up and looked closer at the date. "September 24, 2009?" she said incredulously to herself. The last date she remembered was September 4th… "Just how long was I out of it?" she said, realizing too that the Blur hadn't forgotten about her—it was she who had been MIA. She had missed the rendezvous time by three weeks! But that fact only made her more concerned about how she would find the Blur again.

Tossing the paper aside, yet pocketing the ninja mask, Lois looked around for more clues. She paused in front of a strange stylized 'S' symbol burned into the glass. It seemed like it should be familiar to her somehow… but where would she have seen it?

A sudden flash of memory burned between her eyes, causing another stabbing headache. A red sun… and a tattered cloth hanging above her with that symbol…

She rubbed her temples, knowing she was probably just exhausted. Where should she go from here? That assassin was still out there somewhere, and for whatever reason, she was after Lois.

~\S/~

PT2

Lois headed to the Daily Planet a short time later. She tried Oliver several times again, but got nothing. She scanned through her phonebook, her thumb hesitating over pressing the 'call' button when she passed over Clark's name. She was still hurt at how he had been so closed off to her the last time she saw him… yet, it had been three weeks ago. Had he even been worried about her?

Resolutely, she slammed her phone shut. If he had been worried, then there should have at least been a text message from him…

Lois stepped into the elevator at the Planet, glad that she kept a change of clothes at work. And the Planet had a gym and showers, so she could get cleaned up before she did any more investigating.

As she entered the bullpen, her eyes couldn't help but flicker over to Clark's empty desk. Not that she wanted to see him, really, not in this state. But for some reason, knowing Smallville was nearby usually did help her through her day.

She swung open her deep bottom drawer where she kept her emergency duffel bag for late stakeouts. She also grabbed a chocolate bar from her backup stash. She hadn't eaten anything since the hospital, and she could tell she was running on low sugar.

"Where you been, Lane?" asked one of the guys who worked in classifieds.

"Oh… you know… on a story," she answered vaguely, promising herself she'd get a cup of coffee too before she left the building.

She spotted the latest gossip columnist, Rebekah, and Lois waved her over. "Hey, um, have you done any write-ups on Oliver Queen lately?" she asked. She knew Rebekah knew she had dated Ollie, and the columnist couldn't help smirking as she laid her latest article under Lois' nose.

"I don't know why you bother, Lane. Oliver Queen has taken a major nosedive…" she said, pointing to a picture of him drunk and laughing outside of the Ace of Clubs, his arm wrapped around some blonde starlet. "Rumor has it he's been street fighting, down near Hobb's Bay. But even I won't go down to that den of iniquity on a Friday night."

"Thanks for the tip, Bekah," Lois said with a smirk as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder. She had no such qualms in hunting Ollie down.

~\S/~

As Lois headed down to Hobb's Bay later that night, she wished she had called Clark after all. If Ollie was in as much trouble as she thought doing what was in all probability illegal street fighting, he might not be much use in helping her fight against this assassin.

Still, a girl had to have some pride. She and Ollie had a history together, at least. He would want to help her. Smallville on the other hand, was a complete mystery, and one she didn't like to dwell on. He blew hot and cold with her, and she needed someone solid on her side for this. She sighed, wishing she could just call the Blur to help her out… but all she had was the phone booth. Short of throwing herself off a building, she really didn't have a way of contacting him.

She thought of the 'S' symbol she had seen at the train derailment… Lois had done some digging at the Planet earlier, and it turned out that the Blur had started using the symbol a few weeks ago, shortly after she had vanished. He had stopped appearing in red and blue as well… She wondered what had happened to him. Lois didn't dare think his change in M.O. had anything to do with her disappearance, but from all accounts, the Blur had become less visible and yet more visible, all at once. He no longer wore red and blue, but he now felt the need to leave a calling card whenever he did a save… If she ever spoke to him again—no, _when _she spoke t o him again, she'd have to ask him what's going on. She didn't like how the press she had seen called him a vigilante, and she planned on writing a piece detailing his latest exploits as soon as possible.

But that symbol… it had also been in her vision and she couldn't help wanting to know exactly what it meant…

~\S/~

Lois found Ollie down at a warehouse at Hobb's Bay as Rebekah had suggested. He was fighting that night, but the bouncers up front wouldn't let her back to talk to him. That is, until she offered to fill in for a missing score card girl.

As Lois waited to make her 'debut,' she watched through the chain link fence as Oliver took one punch after another. He would swing and get in a few hits of his own, but she could tell that the reason he was doing so poorly was because he was actually quite drunk. Watching him get pummeled, she felt something she never thought she'd feel for Oliver- pity. Why did he feel the need to resort to street fighting? She knew he was full of guilt about something, but she had no idea what had brought him to this.

The bell sounded, ending the round, and Lois was shooed in to be ogled at and wave the score cards over her head. Ollie was on the ground, writhing in pain, and she fought the urge to help him up.

"Hello Legs," came his greeting through a grunt of pain.

Lois continued to walk around the ring with the scorecard above her head. "Legs? Really? Is that a good idea?" She glanced down at him and gave him a slightly pitying smile. "You're drunk."

"What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you get my messages?" she asked in return.

"My phone has been M.I.A. for a while… How did you know where to find me?"

She shook her head; she couldn't believe how much he had fallen. "Well, all I did was follow the trail of paparazzi and tabloids…" she said, a little too sardonically. "But your sexist boy's club wouldn't let me in. So I improvised," she said with a little pride at her clever plan.

Oliver was still struggling to get up. He shook his head as if to clear it. Whether from alcohol or the knockdown he had received a moment earlier, Lois couldn't tell. "Well, I should forewarn you, Lois. I'm not having my best round here."

She didn't want to hear his excuses, and inwardly she wished she had just sucked up her pride and called Clark. She sighed, "I noticed… Look, you may have some death wish fast track, but I could really use a little dose of hero right now," she said, letting out a little of her frustration in a rush.

Oliver gave another grunt, still struggling to regain his feet.

Lois gave up the pretense of being a sign girl and let out an exhausted sigh as she rested the edge of the large card on the toes of her boots. "Look, I just found out I have been missing for three weeks, and then I reappeared on a monorail with some ninja chick after me."

That seemed to get his attention, as he looked up at her, forgetting his own problems for a moment. "Can you repeat that?"

Suddenly, a hole was ripped out of the warehouse. Lois glimpsed the crazed assassin woman from the train, but before she could do anything, Oliver had Lois on the ground, his body covering hers. "Everybody down!" he yelled.

"Ollie, what the-?" Lois said, only hearing a whoosh around them.

After a moment, he sat up and Lois looked around once the coast was clear. She had no idea what had just happened, but she saw the Blur's 'S' emblazoned on a bit of metal and she couldn't help but smile. He was looking out for her, it seemed.

Lois glanced over at Ollie… he didn't look very heroic at the moment, but he had tried to protect her. She still felt some affection for the Green Arrow, despite all of his flaws, so she leaned over and helped him up.

"Come on, you look like you could use some assistance," she said kindly, helping him over to an area that passed for locker rooms.

She dug around and found some alcohol, swabs, and bandages. She set Oliver down on the bench a little more forcefully than she meant to, still disheartened by his fallen state. She had come to him for help, but she knew with him like this, he wasn't capable of offering her any.

"I'm disappointed in you, Ollie," she said, beginning to swab his cuts.

"See? Now you sound like every other ex-girlfriend I ever had," he said self-deprecatingly, adding a dose of the charming Queen smile to soften the blow of his words.

"Yes, but I'm _not _like every ex you've ever had," Lois retorted.

"No you're not, but you—I haven't been able to coax you back into my bed."

She knew this wasn't the real Oliver Queen talking. It was a front. And she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"You risk your life to help strangers," she said softly. "So you can plaster that frat boy grin across your face all you want, but I know you're a real hero underneath."

Oliver seemed momentarily nonplussed by her statement, but quickly resumed his arrogant swagger. "Come on, Lois. You know I'm nothing more than a playboy… I got the tabloid covers to prove it."

"Then how do you explain the whole Green Arrow thing?" she said forcefully, trying to resurrect the hero she knew was buried in him somewhere.

She could see pain in his eyes, but again, he pushed it away with a cocky remark. "It distracted me for a while…" Then, just to add salt to an old wound, "So did you."

She pressed the alcohol swab a little deeper into the cuts on his face in answer, causing him to wince. "You're an obnoxious jackass," she said flatly, thoroughly disappointed that she wouldn't find the hero that she needed in him tonight.

"See, now you're finally starting to catch on," he said with a wave of his hand near his head, indicating to Lois that he was still quite drunk. "Look, I'm sorry if you ever thought I was anything more than that, Lois. But it's not my fault."

She stood up, about fed up with his hurtful and idiotic remarks. "You know what? That's okay."

"Really?" he asked in some surprise.

"I guess you know yourself better than anyone, right?" she countered, finally calling him on his game.

He stared at her, a little dumbfounded. Apparently he had thought his insults should have led to a pity party.

She glanced over at the emblem the Blur had left behind. "Maybe I don't really need you, Ollie," she said softly. " I've already found my real hero."

~\S/~

Lois left Oliver a short time later to either lick his own wounds or bury them deeper in more alcohol—the drinkable kind. She couldn't bear to see him destroying himself, but she didn't know how to stop it either. Normally, she'd take him out for a beer and they'd have a good laugh, but she didn't want to stoke that fire. He was already pissed enough…

Lois decided to head to Smallville. Chloe would have forgiven her by now for skipping out on the hospital, and Lois needed a good night's sleep. She found her jeep at the Daily Planet parking garage, and was relieved that no one had bothered it while she was gone. But at the same time, none of her friends had seemed to look out for it either.

She knew that Chloe had been dealing with the nightmare that was Davis, so that was understandable. And Oliver had obviously been… distracted. Clark would have been the next logical choice, but he had put all of this distance between them… She wondered if he was still hung up on Lana, even though she had broken his heart and left him- repeatedly.

Just that name made Lois sick to her stomach. That moment at Chloe's wedding would forever be burned into her brain—Clark had been about to kiss her, and then Lana had stepped in and ruined everything. Thank God the little brunette seemed gone for good now. But still, every time Lois thought there might be some interest in her on Clark's end, he'd back away.

Lois found herself driving past the Talon, heading instead to the edge of town. She told herself that she was just going by the Kents' to see if anyone was home, that's all. She wasn't going to bother Clark if he didn't want her there… but she just had to see the farmhouse. Her childhood had been full of new places, new cities, and very few homes. It was ironic that the Kent farmhouse was as close to home as she actually ever had, and it wasn't even her own family's. But with all of the confusion around her right now, she just needed to see it, and feel its comforting presence once more.

She was surprised to find the house completely dark. It was only just after eight, and if anyone had been home, surely some lights would have been on. But even the porch light was dark. Lois killed the engine and debated going in. She finally justified it by telling herself that if anything was wrong, the Kents would appreciate her looking in on things, especially with Mrs. K away in Washington.

Lois grabbed her long-handled police flashlight from her trunk, just in case there was any danger. She didn't turn it on, but kept it by her side in case she needed to use it as a weapon.

Lois shuffled up the porch slowly. She felt her heart hammer a bit, wondering if this was a fool's mission. What if that assassin had tracked her down to the Kents'?

"Calm down, you're just overreacting because you're exhausted," she said to herself. She realized the door was open, as she heard something move behind the screen.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively.

Then she heard a dog whimper, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Shelby," she said, setting the flashlight on the porch. If the dog was okay, then there wasn't likely to be dangerous strangers lurking around.

She stepped inside and knelt before Shelby, giving her a pat, even as a sneeze tickled her nose from the dog dander. "Hey, there."

Lois stood up and flicked on some lights in the kitchen. Things looked much better with the lights on and she began to relax. Reality or not, she was home.

As she surveyed the kitchen, she noticed it was a bit dusty. She swiped her finger through a layer of it on the counter and shook her head. "Mrs. K wouldn't approve," she mumbled.

She glanced down at Shelby, who was standing by her dish. It was full of food, which puzzled Lois even more. "If Smallville's not here, who the hell's been feeding you, Shelby?"

Even more puzzling was the general state of neglect at the farmhouse. Where had Clark disappeared to? Again she pulled out her cell phone and debated calling him. She sighed, knowing she was too exhausted to deal with a verbal confrontation right now. Eventually she resolved that she'd at least call his mom tomorrow.

Lois opened the fridge, not surprised to find nothing to eat. She checked the freezer and found a tub of Rocky Road she had left there over a month ago—which to her was only a few days ago, really. She dug out a spoon from the drawer and made her way to the living room.

Lois wrapped herself in a blanket on the sofa, absently noticing it smelled like Clark. Soap, fresh air, wool, and leather. She switched on the television and dug into her ice cream.

~\S/~

Clark had more questions than answers… but what was new?

He had taken care of the assassin that had followed Lois from the future, but he was worried about what she had told him. Would he really become a threat in the not-so-distant future? And if so, how did he stop it?

Clark saw headlights pull into the driveway.

Lois.

She couldn't know he was here… He hadn't even realized he'd been standing in the dark, staring up at the sky from the barn window for the last half hour; he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts.

Especially about the future.

It terrified him.

Jor-El claimed he had a special destiny here on Earth, one that separated him from the humans. Yet Clark knew deep down that he was a man, with real emotions and real worries. He couldn't isolate himself forever, no matter what his destiny ultimately was. It's why he came back to the farm… why he made sure Shelby got fed… why he would find himself on lonely nights listening to people's lives go by from atop the buildings of Metropolis…

Why he felt his heart stop when he realized that Lois was here.

It was strange how she seemed to know him better than anyone, even though she didn't know the truth about him. He was surprised by her insight about what he was going through when he talked to her as the Blur. And he was often touched by her kindness—even through her tough exterior—when he talked to her as Clark.

They'd always had a friendly rapport between them, but somehow Lois touched him deeper than any of his other friendships. And when she had disappeared three weeks ago—he'd realized that she meant more to him than he'd been willing to admit before. He'd danced around the attraction between them, and had even let himself be pulled into Lana's orbit when she had reappeared. But all of that was over… and the time Lois had been gone had given him time to think.

He realized that Lois brought levity into his life, and yet she grounded him at the same time. And when that tether to goodness, to humanity had disappeared three weeks ago, he had thrown himself into becoming the Kryptonian his father Jor-El had always wanted him to become.

But when he had saved that train the other night, and had seen her on board—all thoughts of destiny and heritage had fled. His heart had concentrated to her… and he realized just what she meant to him.

She meant being human. Even being flawed… She meant life.

And understanding.

Lois Lane had always understood him on a level that surprised and sometimes scared him. And that connection was what he was finding so hard to sever—no matter what his father wanted him to do.

Clark knew he should just speed off to the Fortress, as Jor-El was expecting him. But he just wanted to see her, to be sure she was okay. What had made her come to the farm anyway?

Once she realized the house was empty, surely she should have just turned her jeep around and headed to the Talon. But she hadn't—she'd gone inside, and he wondered if she planned on staying.

Clark sped over to the front porch. He didn't want her to hear him or see him, as he didn't know how he would handle her questions, which he was certain she would have.

He peeked in the window, and saw that she was sleeping on the sofa, a tub of Rocky Road on the table next to her. She looked peaceful… beautiful.

He was touched that she would feel so comfortable here, in his home, where she had lived with him a few years ago. He also thought it was telling that she had chosen to come here, rather than the Talon where she was currently living. She looked comfortable and content sleeping on his sofa. Clark was happy to let her consider the farmhouse her home as well—after all, it hadn't been much of a home since his father died and his mother had become a Senator. At least someone should feel at home here…

Against his better judgment, Clark stepped inside the house. Shelby came over and Clark let the dog out so there would be less noise. He stepped quietly over to Lois, watching the even rhythm of her breathing.

He noticed she had drawn his 'S' emblem into the dust on the table. Was she still hung up on the Blur? He kind of hoped so… though she couldn't know what she meant to him; she was his hold to the world, to humanity, and even though Jor-El resented Clark's connection here, he knew that he was lost without her.

The last few weeks had been hell without Lois, wondering where she was. He had suspected a while back that Lois may have found the Legion ring, though Chloe finally confirmed it for him this afternoon. What had Lois seen in the future? Did she remember any of it? And based on what the assassin had told him about destroying the planet—did he _want_ her to remember any of it?

Her forehead suddenly scrunched up in concern… She tossed a bit, causing the blanket to slip off her torso onto the floor. She was wearing an old tank top and jeans, which couldn't be that comfortable to sleep in. She shifted again, kicking off a few sofa pillows as her features contorted in pain. He heard her whisper, "Zod." The name sent a chill up his spine. He wanted to calm her, comfort her. He wanted her to return to the blissful sleep of a moment ago…

In his guilt-ridden mind, he wondered if his very presence had brought her pain. Had she somehow sensed his presence even in sleep? He couldn't seem to avoid hurting those he loved…

Clark hesitated a moment, but then bent down to retrieve the blanket. He laid it across her gently, letting his fingers rest for just a second on her arm as he did so. After a moment, her features relaxed into a deeper sleep, and he let go.

He watched her longer than he knew he should. But he couldn't help himself. Seeing Lois, alive and in his house had sent an unexpected thrill of pleasure through him. Her very presence was a boon in what had become a pretty lonely life.

At last, he stood up, leaving the light on as she had left it. The tub of ice cream was empty, so he left that as well. There was nothing to tell her that anyone had been there.

He even let Shelby back in and was glad to see the dog hop up on the sofa to sleep at Lois' feet. She would have some company tonight, at least.

Clark repressed a sigh and headed out… maybe he'd patrol Metropolis for an hour or two before heading back to the Fortress.

Maybe it was his imagination, or maybe Lois had sensed more asleep than he thought she could. But as he headed down the steps of the farmhouse, he was certain that she had whispered his name. And even in the chilly fall air, his name on her lips warmed him to his soul.

~\S/~

PT3

Lois awoke to Shelby licking her face. She pushed the dog off her, trying so sit up. A sneeze tickled her nose, and before she could stop it, she let out a whopper, stopping Shelby in her tracks. The dog cocked her head humorously to its side and let out a small whine.

Lois gave Shelby a lopsided smile and patted her head as she got up. "I told you, it's not your fault. But still, you should keep your distance," Lois admonished playfully.

She noticed her canister of ice cream on the side table from the night before and took it into the kitchen. It was morning, just after eight. She realized she had slept almost eleven hours. She always felt guilty when she overslept, usually not finding enough hours in a normal day to do what she needed to do anyway. But she knew that she had needed the extra sleep, and she did feel revived.

Lois reached into the fridge, searching for something that was passable for breakfast. There was a pitcher of orange juice that she hadn't noticed the night before. She reached up for a glass to pour some. It would have to do for breakfast.

Lois started gulping down the juice, surprised that it was so fresh. If Clark hadn't been home in at least a week, where had the juice come from?

Lois' hand suddenly started shaking uncontrollably, and as the tremors increased throughout her body, the glass slipped from her hand. She tried to rest her hands on the counter to stop the shaking, but it was no use. She fell to her knees in an effort to stabilize herself. Shelby came over and whimpered in concern.

Lois reached for the dog, but before her furry friend could come within grasp, Lois fell to the floor as her world went dark.

~\S/~

_Lois was starving, and here was a whole stack of food in front of her._

_If only she didn't have her hands cuffed, it would be much easier to steal at least an apple or-_

_"Try the truffles. They're my favorite," came a snide voice from above her._

_Lois reached for some food, anything to take away the dizziness she felt from not eating. But as she reached for a truffle, thinking maybe this guy would allow her to eat that much, he snatched it from her._

_"To think, a few of these could mean the difference between life and death for your kind." He took a bite of the chocolate, and leaned in to taunt and intimidate her. "I'm General Zod and all of this is mine to give if you give me the names of whoever snuck you into the restricted zone."_

_Lois refused to feel intimidated, even though she was tired, hungry, and beyond confused._

_"My dad's a general, too," she replied, hating that her voice shook just a little. But she pressed on, determined not to be seen as weak. "And he still can't get me to spill how I got an M1 Abrams tank to take me to prom. So I'm definitely not telling you anything." _

_She tried to step past him, but he grabbed on to her upper arm, his eyes dark like coal as they bore into hers. "Then you hear this," he whispered. "No matter how many times you resistance fighters break into the zone, you will never—" His hand slid into her front jeans pocket, shocking her and scaring her at once. She had stupidly hid the ring there. But his hand reaching to take it almost felt like a grope and Lois felt bile rise up in her throat at the intrusion. "You will never take down my tower…What is this?" he said, waving the ring in her face._

_Lois, still shaking at his close proximity, held her ground and refused to answer. Her mind was racing with questions—Tower? What tower?_

_He suddenly let her go as someone entered the room, and Lois was angry if not surprised to see Tess Mercer dressed in army fatigues, apparently in league with General Zod._

_"Tess? You red-headed rat!" Lois hissed in disgust._

_"You know her?" Zod asked Tess, with slight disinterest._

_"She used to work for me. But she disappeared about a year ago—"Tess said, but seemed unimpressed with Lois' miraculous reappearance._

_Lois tried to swipe at Tess in her shackles, hating how chummy-chummy she sounded with Zod._

_"Traitor!" Lois yelled._

_Tess looked down her nose at Lois and snapped back, "I'm this planet's savior! I helped Zod and his people take power to ensure this Earth's survival."_

_Lois wasn't impressed. "Tess Mercer. The ultimate eco-terrorist!" _

_"And what are you?" Zod asked. "I understand you were seen talking to Clark Kent. It was only a matter of time before the resistance got to him."___

_Lois didn't like being ganged up on, especially not by Tess and this Zod guy. So she did what she always did when scared, she laid on more bravado. "I am going to kick both your asses! And if Clark were here right now, he would back me up."_

_Zod smiled at her, leeringly, even mockingly. "The only reason Clark is still alive is because I hoped he'd join the Kandorians. To bridge the gap between our people."_

_"Trust me, Zod," Tess said, her smug friendliness with Zod grating on Lois. "No one has worked as hard as I have to get Clark to see the good that we're doing, but I think we've fooled ourselves long enough. He won't come around."_

_Zod, who didn't seem to understand the value of personal space, came nose to nose with Lois once more. His intimidating tactics were working, but Lois was hoping that he wouldn't see it in her eyes. "Neither you nor Clark are any good to me alive, but a double execution will send a strong message to anyone who dare defies me. Take heart, Lois, at least you can enjoy a glorious last meal."_

_Zod apparently took pleasure in watching others suffer, but what was even more humiliating to Lois was the fact that she was hungry, and she couldn't help but reach for a piece of fruit. She hated that her eyes darted fearfully over to the general, thinking he'd take it away from her again, just to be spiteful. But he allowed her to eat a peach, and she almost thought the pleased smile he gave her in return was worse than his earlier behavior._

_But Lois Lane was a survivor, and she knew that she would need energy to fight against Zod later. So she ate, glaring at Zod with simmering hate the whole time._

_'Where was Clark?' she wondered. And why had the Kent farm been turn into a prison? Clark seemed to have some pull with these people, which made no sense. He was just a regular farm boy, right? Lois felt something in the pit of her stomach that was more than hunger—an unease settled there as questions began to build in her mind. He had seemed to have some pull with these Kandorians… as even his watch seemed to be enough to be traded for Lois' life. But why?_

_~\S/~_

"Lois? Lois! Can you hear me? Lois!"

The voice pulled her back from the void. Lois felt something sticky on her fingers and carefully opened her eyes to see the concerned blue ones of her cousin looking back at her.

"Lois? What happened?" Chloe asked, helping Lois to a sitting position.

"Um, I don't know…" she answered, her hand not covered in orange juice coming to her head. Those headaches were back again.

"Lo, I think we should get you to the medical center," Chloe said in alarm.

"I think I'm all right… just—low blood sugar, I think," Lois said, unsteadily coming to her feet.

Chloe looked doubtful, but got a mop out of the closet. "Take it easy, okay? I'll clean this up. Why don't you lie down?"

Lois started towards the living room, but then turned back to Chloe in puzzlement. "Why are you here anyways?"

Chloe looked down at the floor she was cleaning as she answered. "I came to feed Shelby while Clark's—out of town."

"Where is Clark, anyway?" Lois asked, before she could stop herself. She had promised herself that she wasn't concerned about that farm boy, but the question had risen up unbidden anyway.

"I don't know… visiting… family—somewhere…in Michigan, or something," Chloe said vaguely.

"Well, I have to get back to the Planet today and make sure my job hasn't been taken over by some know-nothing intern… I'm going to take a shower, 'kay?"

"Just, take it easy, Lois. And you really should see a doctor."

Lois brushed off Chloe's concern with a vague smile and a nod. She had no intention of going to see a doctor. The answers she needed wouldn't be found in the four walls of a doctor's office anyway.

~\S/~

Lois relished the feel of the warm shower; the water pressure was always better in the country, and she enjoyed the pounding of it over her body. It seemed like forever since she had a proper shower—where the hell had she been for three weeks anyway?

Images flashed in her mind—remnants of a dream she had last night and parts of a vision she had this morning… The sun had been red… and the people around her seemed oppressed, defeated. She had seen Chloe, running and then—dead?

Lois swallowed. She needed to know more, yet she was fearful of what else she had seen in her dreams…What had it all meant? She remembered seeing Ollie…and Clark—

Her eyes flashed open as her body was suffused with sudden heat. In her dream last night, she had seen flashes of her and Clark in bed, making love. In the barren world with the red sun, they had found solace in each other's arms… And yet, as she delved deeper into the dream, she realized it felt more like a memory. Her cheeks flushed redder than the warm water had induced. She _remembered_ what it had felt like to make love with Clark—as if it had already happened…

But that was impossible, right?

Lois shut off the water and leaned against the cool tile walls, trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes, searching her recollections of the dream—or memory?—for more clues…

She herself had been a prisoner—held against her will-

Tess had been there as well… in league with some warlord… What had his name been?

Was Tess responsible for whatever war Lois had witnessed? Before Lois disappeared Tess had been going on and on about some alien orb. What had Tess stumbled upon and did it have something to do with Lois' strange visions?

Lois stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. She may not have the answers about her visions of her and Clark, but she knew she needed to talk to Tess about that orb.

~\S/~

Lois found Tess at the former Luthor manor, working on her sparring skills. On the way over, Lois had again gone over the fragments of her dream, trying to piece together what it all meant. She knew Tess dabbled in some strange things, and she wouldn't put it past her to try mind games on Lois. Had Tess abducted Lois? Held her prisoner for three weeks? Were the images in Lois' mind real or had they somehow been planted there? And why would Tess want to plant images in her mind of her and Clark taking a tumble in the sheets?

Somehow Lois knew that the orb Tess had been ranting about had something to do with her strange dreams. Though she knew she wouldn't get direct answers from her temperamental boss, she would at least try and find out if Tess knew what had happened to her during those three weeks she had been out of it.

Lois put on her tough face, as she always did when facing the inscrutable redhead. "Seriously, what is it with you and physical violence?" Lois said with a smirk at Tess' choice of workout.

"Things did get a little ... physical last time I saw you, didn't they?" Tess teased, seemingly enjoying the fact that she had pretty much gotten the better of Lois in that confrontation.

Lois wasn't into comparing sparring notes though. She was there for answers. "What happened that night, Tess? I've apparently been gone for three weeks!"

Tess smiled elusively, making Lois wonder what Tess knew that she didn't. "You don't remember?"

"You know, a three-week concussion can do that to a person. What did you do? Have your goons lock me up somewhere?" Lois asked belligerently. Her head was starting to hurt again, and she had forgotten to raid the Kent medicine cabinet for Advil.

"Held you?" Tess asked in surprise, still beating up a punching bag with a sparring stick. "That's wishful thinking, Lane."

"Then what happened?" Lois pressed.

"Look, you were already gone when I came to…" Tess whomped the punching bag again and gave Lois a challenging smile. "We never did get to finish what we started, though. Little rematch?"

Lois crossed her arms, not interested in Tess' games. "I didn't come here to fight, Tess. I just came to tell you that I'm not leaving the Daily Planet."

"You were never leaving, Lois. I fired you," Tess corrected.

That took Lois aback a moment, though she held her ground. She couldn't let Tess fire her-"Well, I'm not going to get into the whole she said ... she said thing with you, but I do have friends at the Inquisitor and they would just love to run a story about LuthorCorp's CEO and her plans to launch a hostile alien takeover of the world." Lois was going on some spying she had done before and the flashes of the dream she'd been having. She hadn't been sure that's what Tess had been up to then, but based on her reaction, Lois knew she was pretty close.

Tess covered it up quickly and laughed derisively, "No one would ever believe you, Lane."

Lois shrugged, trying for nonchalance. "Maybe, maybe not, but do you really want the attention?"

Tess stopped her punching bag routine long enough to wipe her brow and nod to Lois. "Fine. See you Monday… just don't be late."

~\S/~

Lois sat at her desk at the Planet late Monday afternoon. She was writing up the story on the train derailment, leaving out her mysterious return from wherever she had disappeared to. She gave all of the credit of the save to the Blur. Even if he was using different tactics these days, she still believed he deserved to get the credit for this save. She certainly wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for him.

Speaking of the Blur, she pulled out the letter he had given her before her disappearance. She reread it, realizing he had really meant to say good-bye forever that night. What had happened, she wondered, to make him stay? He had seemed convinced that rescuing Chloe would be his last mission, yet there is proof all over the city that he is still around.

Lois looked up from her musings, suddenly staring at Clark's empty chair. She was already missing him and their playful banter. Had he missed her as well? Dare she think that he had left because it had been hard working here without her?

"Get a grip, Lane," she grumbled to herself, knowing she was getting into dangerous territory.

Suddenly, her phone started buzzing. The caller was listed as 'unknown'. It was either a bill collector—or it could be—

"Hello?" she answered, the hope that it could be the Blur overriding any good sense she had about wanting to avoid bill collectors or telemarketers.

"I'm glad you're okay," said the deep male voice on the phone. Lois closed her eyes in relief. _It was him_.

"I was afraid you had disappeared for good, but-," she began, looking down at a few of the articles scattered on her desk that told of the exploits of the Blur.

"I should have—I'm _supposed _to… but I can't," he confessed, puzzling her further. Why was he _supposed_ to leave Metropolis, and by extension, her? "Promise this will be just between us?"

"I promise," Lois breathed, barely able to contain her relief. The Blur was here for now—and he was calling her at last!

She listened as he explained about him being the one who had taken care of the assassin, and that Lois had nothing more to worry about in that regard.

"But Lois, you need to be more careful," he said, and even through the voice modulator he used, she could hear his concern.

"Do you-do you know anything about what happened to me when I disappeared three weeks ago? I—I keep having these visions-"

"What visions?" the Blur interrupted.

Lois felt silly when she tried putting them into words, but she also felt the anonymity of the Blur was a good an ear as any to unburden herself to. "Well, it's strange… I keep having these flashes of people I know and care about—getting hurt. The visions are always under a red tinge, as if the sun itself is red-and—" she stopped herself, thinking about her visions with Clark.

"And?" he prodded.

"I—" she cleared her throat, deciding that no matter how anonymous these calls were, discretion was probably the better part of valor in regard to her steamy visions in Clark's embrace. "Well, I just keep having these very real images that make no sense-and yet I was out of it for three weeks. I wonder if someone, I don't know—implanted these images in my head for some reason. But that's ridiculous, right? … I wish I could talk to Clark," she finished absently, thinking about how good they were together with putting together mysterious stories like this one. She was certain he would have some idea about how to figure out what happened or who had done this to her.

"Clark?"came the voice on the other line, sounding a bit surprised.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, my um, intern—well, partner. Occasionally... And friend… he's just been visiting family lately," she said, hearing in her voice just how much she actually missed her farm boy partner.

"Anyway," she said, shaking herself out of the confusing morass that was Clark Kent. "Is there anything I can help you with? I could use a good story to distract me—"

"No, nothing for now, Lois. But—I'll call you in a few days, okay?"

~\S/~

"Clark?"

"What is it, Chloe? I told you not to call unless it was an emergency," Clark chided, but then immediately bit his tongue. His sometimes sidekick really didn't deserve the brunt of his frustrations.

"Ouch."

He sighed, "I'm sorry, Chloe. It's just-well, what's going on?"

"It's Lois. I'm worried about her."

"Lois? Why? What's going on?"

Chloe let out a heavy sigh of her own. "I don't know. You and I know that she has spent some time in the future, thanks to the Legion ring… but what we don't know is what lasting effects she may have from her trip down the rabbit hole."

"Lasting effects? What do you mean?"

"I mean, Lois has been passing out lately, accompanied by mild tremors. I found her on the floor of your kitchen Friday… Clark, she was mumbling something about Zod— When she came to, she thought she might have low sugar or something… but I got the feeling this wasn't the first time she blacked out."

"Did you take her to the hospital?"

"This is Lois we're talking about. She only goes to the hospital if she's already unconscious and doesn't have a choice… I don't know… I'm worried about her… but since I have you on the phone—since when have you been calling her as the Blur?" Chloe couldn't help asking.

"Chloe—"

"I know, you want me to stay out of it. It's just, Clark, if you're supposed to be training to become the hero your father wants you to become, aren't you just setting up Lois to get hurt?"

"I've been careful… and besides, it's just—I don't know—easy to talk to Lois these days. But I'm worried about these visions she's been having."

"Wait," Chloe cut in. "You knew, didn't you? She told the Blur about what has been going on, didn't she?"

Clark shrugged, even though Chloe couldn't see him. "Yes—but I didn't know she was blacking out when she was having them… Chloe, that's dangerous-"

"I think you need to find out exactly what she knows. Maybe she can shed some light on what Zod really wants… Meanwhile, I'll do some research into repressed memories and… blackouts, I guess."

Clark said good-bye and snapped his phone shut. He stood on top of the Daily Planet building, a favorite hangout for him lately, a way to be a part of the action yet remain hidden. He was honestly worried about Lois. Why were these memories causing her to blackout? And what if she remembered more than she needed to know? Would she figure out he was the Blur? And what did Zod have to do with the future?

Jor-El wanted him to continue his training, but Clark didn't know if he could with all of these unanswered questions. Lois knew something about the future, and she could be the key to figuring out how to stop becoming whatever it was the assassin had told him he would become. What would bring him to a future where he was the threat to the world?

So, despite his better judgment and indulging in his secret desire to be back in the bullpen, Clark whirred out of his Blur clothes and into a pressed shirt and pants.

He would come back to the Planet—if only to find a few answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Clark stepped into the bullpen, taking a moment to watch Lois with her back turned to him. She was looking contemplatively at something in her hands, and as he came up behind her, he was surprised to see it was his nameplate.

"I'm going to be needing that," he said lightly, knowing he was calling her out on evidence that she missed him.

"Clark Kent!" she said with unrestrained enthusiasm.

She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around him, surprising them both. "I was beginning to think your family lived on another planet!"

Lois suddenly let go, as she realized her over-affectionate hug wasn't quite reciprocated. She cleared her throat and tried to regain back some of her dignity. "Well, you know—it's just that it's been pretty dull around here and—"

Clark smiled warmly at her, saving her from further humiliation. "I missed you too, Lois," he said kindly.

She gave him a little smile and then sat back down at her desk, passing him his nameplate. As Clark made his way over to his desk, he noticed Lois watching him carefully.

"Lois? Is something wrong?" he asked, switching on his computer to check some email. It had been over three weeks since he had done mundane tasks like check email at the Planet, and yet he felt so at ease sliding back into his life as Clark Kent.

Clark glanced at Lois again and noticed her cheeks redden. "Lois?" he tried again.

She shook her head. "Nothing…" Then, changing her mind, "Well… maybe something. I don't know… I don't' want to talk about it here. Barn—later?"

He wondered if she actually wanted to talk to him about those visions she'd been having. Not the Blur, but Clark. He needed to know what she saw, but he was also worried if she would draw the right conclusions about his real identity. He had thought about calling her as the Blur to press the issue, but he was endeared that maybe she wanted to open up to Clark Kent.

Nevertheless, whatever Lois had to say, he wanted to hear it.

"Sure… I'll meet you there around eight."

~\S/~

As Lois drove into Smallville later that evening to meet Clark, she noticed storm clouds starting to cover the wide swath of open sky over the Kansas farm fields. She turned her radio to the news, hoping it was just a regular storm on the way and nothing major.

"…some severe conditions. Wind and rain expected to pick up in the next half hour…"

She sighed, clicking off the radio. Didn't sound too bad, but she wanted to make it to the Kents' before the storm hit. She had made plans to have dinner with Chloe, but talking to Clark was more important. As she drove, she sent Chloe a slightly misspelled text, even in shorthand, but it was the best she could do while driving with an overactive auto-corrector on her Blackberry.

By the time Lois pulled into the Kent driveway, thick raindrops had started falling from the sky. She didn't see Clark's truck anywhere, and she sighed, realizing she'd beat him here. Lois pulled her trench over her head and made a run for it to the front porch. Just as she hit the front step, the acrid smell of sulfur filled the air as a lightning bolt streaked across the sky. She heard a resounding crack, which sounded like the lightning had struck something.

The house was dark, and as Lois reached for a light switch, she was dismayed to find the power out. Shelby came over to whine around her ankles as Lois searched for the flashlight she had left on the porch a few nights before. It was early evening, but with the fast approaching storm, the sky was practically night.

"Don't worry, Shelby. I'll have the lights back on in a jiffy," Lois said confidently, patting Shelby on the head as she swung one of Mrs. Kent's old rain jackets over her shoulders, which would fare better in the rain than her fuchsia trench had.

Lois ran to the barn where the electrical box was located. The winds were starting to pick up, and she could feel the bottom of her pant legs getting soaking wet along with her high-heeled boots being sucked into the mud. The barn was quite dark when she entered, but she called out for Clark anyway.

Not getting a response, she made her way over to the fuse box. She killed all the switches and hit the reset button. Within moments, the electricity was humming again. The rain was now pouring buckets and she didn't want to run back out in it to get back to the house. She looked down at her pants and boots to assess the damage. At least she wasn't wearing her prized Prada boots… She glanced out towards the driveway again, but there was still no sign of Clark.

Not wanting to race raindrops back to the house, Lois headed up the stairs to Clark's loft to wait out the rain.

Lois rarely spent time in the barn without Clark there, and with nothing better to do, she suddenly had the urge to snoop around. Even though Lois was an expert in the investigative department, she rarely turned her skills snooping on those she cared about, unless they were in trouble. And the only trouble Clark had gotten into lately was disappearing for three weeks and somehow appearing in her rather disturbing visions. For a startled moment, she wondered if he had experienced those flashbacks of hers as well, but she just as quickly dismissed the idea. Both Chloe and his mom had confirmed that he had been visiting family.

But still… there seemed to be something strange going on, and Lois knew instinctively that somehow it was all tied to Clark.

So she hadn't intended on snooping through his things, but with the rain and her growing concerns, she decided a once-over of the loft wouldn't hurt.

As she had expected, she found some of his high school memorabilia, including his high school yearbook. She flipped through it and shook her head in disappointment to find that she wasn't even mentioned in it. "I went there for like, twenty-seven days—no one realizes that that is a record for me!" she said in exasperation, tossing the book aside.

Then she spotted a leather-bound journal lying on top of a bunch of other books and magazines. She rolled her eyes at the prospect of a Clark Kent diary, expecting it to contain evidence of his long-term infatuation with Lana Lang. She stared at the cover for a moment, weighing it in her hands. "Do I really want to do this to myself?" she scoffed aloud.

Resignedly, she opened the book, and was shocked at what she saw. No whining purple prose born of teenage angst here. Instead, there was a whole foreign language written out and explained: symbols, philosophies, histories—the story of a civilization. As Lois read, she started to feel the tremors happen again. The symbols looked familiar, and she felt as if her whole body was reacting to seeing them, as if trying to shake the memories out of her…

~\S/~

_To add insult to injury, before they would execute Lois, Tess had to be promoted. Lois was dragged to the rooftop of Luthor Manor to watch the ceremony._

_The red sun boiled overhead, casting an eerie glow over the roof and lawns. What were once lush green gardens looked burnt orange and brown under the sun. The red sun brought death, and Lois couldn't help but feel it was an ominous atmosphere for the present ceremony. Lois watched in disgust as Tess kneeled before General Zod like a happy little soldier getting a pat on the back for destroying the earth. Lois couldn't believe Tess had the gall to think she had done right in choosing to side with this monster._

_Zod's strange accent echoed hollowly around the stone rooftop, his words as empty as the desolate earth around them. "Today two lives end, but another begins," Zod said. "Rise, soldier."_

_The men in attendance for the ceremony began moving back into the house, dragging Lois along with them. She struggled to free herself from their grip, but it was futile. These men were stronger than any others she had ever encountered. She couldn't help but feel if she gave a wrong twist, her arm might break right off. Again, her fear fueled her bravado, and she couldn't help yelling at Tess, the only one among the group who probably wouldn't kill her on the spot, "You betrayed the entire human race for some crappy dog tags? Way to go."_

_The walk back down into the main room made Lois feel a sense of urgency. Were they going to execute her now? Every fiber of her being balked at the idea, and she was still so confused about how all of this had happened in the first place. She had so many questions and not a single answer._

_Well, perhaps one. Clark Kent obviously cared about her more than he had ever let on. She held on to the memory of his embrace earlier that day as they led her back towards the library, and the emotion she had heard in his voice when he had found her at the farm._

_Ironically, it was the thought that Clark cared for her that gave her courage to face whatever laid ahead for her. She would be brave for him._

_Prepared for the worst upon entering the library, Lois was surprised and heartened to hear Clark cry, "Let her go! Take my life! Let her live!"_

_And yet, those words, that he would sacrifice his life for hers, shook her to the core. All she could speak was his name in a strangled whisper, caressed with the emotion and fear that they wouldn't live through this-that she would never have a chance to tell him what he meant to her._

_Lois locked eyes with Clark. She was floored by the emotion that burned there. Suddenly her breath was stolen as she realized what he really felt for her. This wasn't just Clark stepping in to be a hero, he would sacrifice himself because he truly loved her._

_Zod broke their brief communion of the eyes, stepping between them to show his disdain. "Your bravery is commendable, Clark. But by defying me, you have forced my hand." Zod nodded to a nearby Kandorian guard, and he pushed Clark down to his knees. Zod relished the moment with Clark prostrate beneath him, as he took out a wicked looking sword. "I wanted you to join me on this new Earth, but now I must bury you beneath it."_

_All Lois saw was the sword, raised above Clark's head. She cried out "No!" horrified._

_"No, Clark! No!"_

~\S/~

"Lois? Lois, wake up. I'm here."

Clark had found Lois on the floor, his Kryptonian journal lying open next to her. He couldn't resist the old need to hide, to protect his origins, even if Lois had already read part of the journal. So he carefully put it aside in a drawer, before gathering Lois in his arms.

Her face was contorted in fear, her breath coming in small gasps, as she cried "No!" defiantly to the dreams that were haunting her.

"Lois? Please, wake up. Everything is all right. Lois," he continued to coax her, rocking her gently in his arms as the rain continued its tattoo on the roof overhead.

"Clark?" she asked in a thin whisper, coming out of the dream, sounding almost childlike.

"I'm here, Lois," he said gently, some emotion catching in his own throat to see her so vulnerable.

"Clark?" she asked again, sounding a bit more like herself.

When she realized she was lying in his arms, she quickly scooted to a sitting position, lest he see her cheeks flush red from their near contact. The raw emotion of the Clark Kent she had seen in her dream was still fresh in her mind's eye, the love that burned there. And she knew she wouldn't see that emotion in this Clark, and she had to prepare her heart for that fact.

"I—I passed out…" she said vaguely, coming to her feet, albeit still a little dizzy. She looked around the floor, searching for the journal she had been reading, but it was gone. She turned to Clark, his expression vaguely concerned. She knew then that he had hidden it from her… but why? It wasn't like she understood the strange mumbo jumbo that had brought on that tremor attack.

"Lois-are you all right?" he asked cautiously, stepping towards her.

She stumbled back, needing some distance from him. Her mind was swirling with memories, one of the more surprising of them painting Clark as her hero.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said in a voice that clearly indicated that she wasn't.

"Lois, sit down. Come talk to me. What happened?" Clark said kindly, sitting on the sofa and patting the place next to him nonthreateningly.

She turned to face him, seeing the worry written on his face. Maybe he wasn't the dazzling hero she had seen in her dream, but he was a friend, despite everything.

Lois sat next to him, fidgeting with her hands.

"What happened?" Clark asked again, quietly.

She sighed, resigned. She had planned on telling him about her visions earlier at the Planet, why she had called this little barn meeting to order in the first place. Yet her resolution was suddenly wavering. Now she desperately also wanted to ask for a quid pro quo. Namely, for him to tell her what the hell that journal was filled with and why did Clark have it? She was hesitant to spill her guts to him if he was just going to be a sympathetic ear and not someone who would actually help her solve this mystery.

And on top of it all, she couldn't shake the deep feelings her dream had stirred in her for Clark.

She always knew she was attracted to Smallville, but she had always been cautious about showing her feelings for him. Especially when Lana had still been in the picture. But now, she could still see the expression on his face from her dream, and it took her a moment to reconcile that with the lightly flirtatious relationship they had. The Clark Kent of her dream had been much more than a casual flirtation.

"Um… I don't know. I keep fainting and having these crazy acid trip dreams I can't explain," she said lightly.

"You want to talk about it?" Clark prodded.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't know. You'll probably think I'm whack-a-doodle."

"Lois, whatever it is, you can trust me," Clark coaxed with a smile.

Lois, not allowing herself to be drawn into his baby blue eyes, tried another tactic instead.

"So, how was your three week vacation?" she said, aiming for a less dangerous conversation topic.

"My three week vacation?" he said, slightly puzzled by the change of subject.

"Yeah—Chloe told me you were visiting family… kinda strange that you took off right when I disappeared…" she said, giving him a sidelong glance as she searched for his reaction.

"Lois, what is this all about?"

"Well, I—I just find it odd that we were both gone for three weeks and I barely remembered what happened to me and both your mom and Chloe's stories about you visiting family seemed to conflict—" she said, suddenly realizing. "Especially given the fact that they both mentioned two different states and—"

"I have family in a lot of places," Clark interrupted defensively. "And you called my [i]mother[/i] looking for me?" he said a bit testily.

"I talk to Mrs. K all the time, Smallville. And don't get petulant with me. I have just been trying to figure out why I keep seeing you as the hero in my dreams when in real life you are no better than any other guy!" Lois said in a rush, crossing her arms in dismay.

Silence filled the room as both of them contemplated what she just said.

"You think I'm a hero?" he said at last, softly, turning to her.

Lois glanced away from his intent gaze and shrugged her shoulders. "Can we change the subject?"

Clark sighed, relenting a bit. "Tell me about dreams have you been having."

She hesitated another moment, but then took the red and yellow Smallville High blanket that was folded on the arm of the sofa and started fiddling with the ends, not looking at him. "Well, I think that Tess is up to no good. Right before I disappeared, I went to talk to her at the Planet and she was going on about some alien orb. Then all I remember was putting on a ring and disappearing into an acid trip where the sun was red and Tess was in league with aliens. And Zod!" she said, suddenly remembering with a shiver. She shook her head, "Anyway, it was like I was looking into the future and—well, it wasn't pretty."

"Zod?" Clark asked, carefully pushing for more information. How much did she know about Zod?

"Yeah, he was this really obnoxious general…" she waved her hands dismissively. "I don't remember. It was all a bit hazy…" She sighed, her headache coming back. "I just wish I knew what it all meant."

"Lois, perhaps you are just stressed."

"Stressed? Of course I am stressed, Clark!" she said, tossing the blanket aside and getting up to walk over to stand by the window. "Three whole weeks of my memory are [i]gone[/i]! And all I have in their place are a bunch of images that hardly make any sense…" She turned to face him, her arms crossed again, this time in a protective pose. "Smallville, you'd tell me if you knew what any of this is about, wouldn't you?" she asked, her voice more subdued.

"Of course, Lois," he said, but his smile didn't look very convincing. "Maybe—maybe Tess is behind it, as you said."

"Maybe," Lois grumbled, unconvinced.

"Look, the rain has stopped. Let's get a bite to eat and try to problem solve this on a full stomach, okay?"

She stared at him a moment, uncertain about accepting his peace offering. She had thought Tess was behind it all at first, but now she wasn't so sure.

As she followed Clark down the stairs of the loft, she couldn't help looking over her shoulder, wondering why he had seen fit to get rid of the journal before she came to. The more Lois thought about it, the more she was convinced that Clark Kent had something to hide… and it all had something to do with her three-week disappearance.


	3. Chapter 3

It hit her during dinner.

There they were, digging into some lovely fettuccini Alfredo that Clark had made, sitting comfortably on the sofa, when Lois dropped her fork as she remembered something she had seen in the journal.

Shelby came over to inspect if anything had dropped by Lois' feet for her, but Lois absently shooed the dog away, picking up the fork and took it to the kitchen, a disturbing thought beginning to form.

She wanted to see that journal again. One of the symbols she had seen amid the pages and pages of oddities… had looked just like the symbol the Blur had been leaving all over Metropolis. It hadn't registered at the time, as she had been quickly overcome by her strange dreams. But now, looking back, she couldn't help asking herself why Clark would have a journal that referenced the Blur?

"Lois? Are you okay?" Clark asked from the living room.

"Yeah, fine Smallville. Just getting another fork," she said absentmindedly, still standing in the dark kitchen holding a new fork as thoughts churned through her head like a minefield.

Again, flashes of memory came back to her. Something about the red sun being turned yellow again, and Clark being able to defeat Zod…?

The pieces were there, like parts of a puzzle, yet she couldn't quite fit them together into the proper mosaic. What did it all mean?

She was taking longer than she should in the kitchen to fetch a new fork, and Clark was asking for her again.

"I'm right here, Smallville!" she said irritably, coming back into the living room. She knew that Clark knew something about all of this that he wasn't telling her. She wondered if that's why he was being nice to her… maybe it had nothing to do with their sometimes-flirtatious relationship… maybe—maybe he was trying to get answers as well.

Lois, who never was one to back out of a fight, decided she'd face this head on. She knew that Clark knew something… about the Blur at least, if not about her strange three weeks and subsequent flashbacks. And that tantalizing possibility sent her back to the sofa, reaching for the remote to put it on mute, getting Clark's attention.

"Clark, can we talk?" she said, sitting on the footstool in front of him, ostensibly blocking his view of the television. "You weren't watching that anyway, right?" she said, waving behind her in the vague direction of the television.

"Sure, Lois. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine… well, sort of fine. I mean—" she took a breath to calm herself. She looked at Clark, her best friend. She trusted him implicitly, yet she was now starting to see that there was more to Clark Kent than met the eye. Again, she saw the hero in her dream and tried to reconcile him to the man who was keeping something from her. She let out another sigh as she braced herself to talk to him.

"Clark, I need you to be honest with me," she began calmly. "I saw that journal in the loft… The symbols… "

"What jour—" he began, but she raised her hand to stop him from spinning a lie.

"Please, Clark. I know what I saw… and one of the symbols was that of the Blur," she said steadily, searching his eyes for confirmation. "What I want to know is-"

"Lois-" he began at the same time, an ashen look of panic beginning to settle across his feature.

"Let me finish," she said and after a moment, he nodded in concession. "Why do you have the Blur's journal?"

"The Blur's-" he began, seemingly confused.

She set aside both of their plates of fettuccini, as Clark was done eating and she no longer had an appetite. "Did you take it from him? You know who he is, don't you? And you kept that from me!" she said, pointing her finger at him. "How could you, Clark?"

"Lois—I—"

She crossed her arms, clearly upset. "I mean, I understand we need to protect his identity. And I wouldn't want to put him in any danger, but Clark—there have been plenty of times where I could have used your back up in defending the Blur!" She paused and sighed, calming just a bit. "I guess I should give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you were just protecting him like you try to protect m-" She cut herself off hastily and shook her head, coming to her point. "But why do you have a journal that clearly belongs to the Blur?"

Clark gave her a long look. She could see in his eyes that he was debating what to tell her. "Well-he gave it to me."

Her eyes went wide. "So you _do_ know who he is!"

She watched as Clark's cheeks flushed red and he shrugged. "Well, you know how important keeping his identity secret is…"

"Yes, but Clark! That journal-it was fascinating! A whole language, a whole culture—it was as if-" she paused in her thoughts and then looked at Clark, thinking better of what she had to say.

"It's as if what, Lois?" Clark quietly prodded, his blue eyes searching her brown ones.

The memories were back… Zod… an alien race… Clark-

"The Blur isn't meteor infected, is he, Clark?" she asked quietly.

"Why would you say that, Lois?" Clark said, and Lois could hear the false levity in his voice. "Obviously someone with his powers—"

She shook her head. "He's an alien… I know, because I've seen them in the future."

~\S/~

Those words hung between them for a long time.

Clark felt like he was teetering on the edge of a precipice. Lois was so close to figuring it all out. It was as if he was taking a peek over a forbidden fence, seeing how Lois would react to learning he was an alien.

As she looked at him, Clark had that sensation that he got sometimes with Lois that she could see right through him. Part of him wanted her to see through him—not only would be easier to ask about her visions- He needed to know what would happen in the future…But another part of him thrilled at the idea that Lois could accept him- all of him- if she knew the truth. However, he couldn't seem to get the words to form, oddly fascinated by watching her put together what she did understand.

"Just tell me it isn't Zod," she suddenly breathed, horror written on her face. "I couldn't bear it to learn that Zod was really the Blur," she shuddered.

"No, it's not Zod," he quickly reassured her.

"Wait, you know who Zod is?" she asked fearfully. "Clark, what else aren't you telling me?"

Clark stared at her another moment, debating how much he wanted to skirt around the truth and yet still answer her questions. "Zod… he-well, he comes from the same planet as the Blur," he began cautiously.

She looked at him, a newly determined look on her face. "Clark—I know it's dangerous to know who the Blur is—but these visions- Clark, what if I've seen the future? We have to stop what's to come. I have to tell the Blur about what I saw—he's the only one that can save us, don't you see?"

"Lois—" he said, pained, his conscience torn. Telling Lois the truth, he realized, would put Lois at too much risk, and he wasn't willing to do that. With her knowledge of the future and knowing he's the Blur, both Zod and Tess would be after her in no time.

"Can you tell me what you saw?" he asked gently. "I—can get the message to the Blur," he bent the truth once more, the words feeling like Kryptonite in his mouth. He felt like he was manipulating her, and he thought he'd had enough of manipulation over the last few years with Lana. The last thing he wanted to do was perpetuate the cycle.

She nodded, moving to sit next to him on the sofa. "The memories are becoming clearer, each time I—black out," she began.

"Tell me."

She nodded and got comfortable on the sofa, taking a pillow onto her lap, not looking at him.

"The sun is red… and there's a tower that I think Tess built," she began in a subdued tone, closing her eyes. As she spoke, Clark's arm came around her, gently stroking her upper arm, encouraging her to continue, and she leaned into it, his strength bracing her to face the strange images of her mind.

His close proximity made her throat tighten with tears. She had needed this confession. The headaches were not present, and she relaxed as she relayed what she remembered about Zod and Tess.

"…And then… you were there," she almost whispered, emotion catching in her throat. "You—you told Zod to take your life for mine," she opened her eyes and turned to him, both of them surprised to find her eyes wet with tears.

"Lois, it's okay," he whispered back and pulled her into his arms for a hug.

Lois, who rarely cried, wept on Clark's shoulder, partly for the terror of what may come, and partly because she wished that Clark of the future was with her now. A Clark who could love her…

But she didn't think he was ready for love yet, still licking the wounds that Lana had left behind.

She sat up a little, the tears subsiding, and she wiped her cheeks. "But Clark, the worst part of it all was—the Blur was dead," she said with finality, tears choking her speech once more. "That's why he has to know what I saw—maybe he can-"

"Lois—he wasn't _dead_," Clark interrupted at her distress, but then stopped, realizing he couldn't explain without telling her the truth—that a red sun would take away his powers.

"How do you know?" came the inevitable question.

"Because-because I just don't believe he could be, that's all. Lois, how do you know this wasn't just a dream or some manipulation by Tess?"

"Because it was real, Clark. As real as you and I-" her mind flashed to an image of her and Clark, making love and she felt her cheeks flush red. "It was real, Clark," she breathed.

He nodded, believing the raw emotion he saw written on her face. After all, he knew the power of the Legion ring better than anyone. But what scared him was the fact that Lois now believed these images were really of the future. It was only a matter of time before she figured out his secret.

For himself, he was beginning to think it wouldn't be so terrible if she knew. She accepted the Blur for who he was… but if she had that knowledge, she would be in greater danger than ever.

"Here, Lois. Just take it easy, okay? Let's watch a movie and take our minds off things."

She nodded, still shaken up by her confessions and still curious about the Blur's journal in Clark's possession.

Clark settled back into the sofa, and Lois made herself comfortable as Clark flipped through channels.

"How about _Lethal Weapon_?"

"Sure, give me an action flick any day over visions of aliens taking over the Earth," she joked, an attempt to lighten the mood.

As they watched the movie, they slowly drifted towards each other, until Lois again found herself in the crook of Clark's arm, slung over the top of the sofa. She settled in there, by his side… until she finally drifted to sleep.

~\S/~

_Lois couldn't believe the events of the day. Clark, willing to die for her. Ollie and Chloe coming to their rescue. And the utter animosity between Chloe and Clark. None of it made any sense. All she knew was that she was in a new world, defined by new rules… and new emotions._

_Clark obviously cared for her more than she had known. Their comfortable flirtations had barely skirted into romantic territory, except for the almost-kiss before Lana had showed up at Chloe's wedding. But this new Clark-he took her breath away with the intensity of his emotions._

_After escaping with their lives from the former Luthor manor, the crew had settled into an abandoned level of apartments, just below the old clock tower for the night. It was one of the few places left in the city where the Kandorians hadn't taken over. Lois had talked with Chloe for a few minutes alone, trying to understand the mistrust she had developed for Clark. Chloe had been vague and unreasonable, hinting that if Lois could only understand one thing about Clark, she would know why Chloe was so upset. Yet Chloe had refused to divulge that one thing, making it impossible for Lois to understand how her farm boy partner could be responsible for an alien invasion._

_So Lois decided to go to the source, and talk to Clark._

_She found him in his own room, wiping the blood and sweat from the day off his face, his chest bare to his waist as he leaned over a bowl of water. He looked like a warrior from a time long ago, doing his ablutions in the golden radiance of the setting red sun._

_He was so beautiful. Despite whatever had transpired between him and Chloe, Lois knew he was a good man. And he had defended her against Zod. That moment in the library, more than anything, gave her the courage to come to his room tonight._

_"Are you okay?" he asked quietly when he saw her standing in the doorway._

_"Define okay," she said in a strained voice, the stress of the day showing. "So far today I've traveled through time, fought a flying alien and almost got my head chopped off." Lois closed the door and made her way over to Clark. "But, despite all those things, one thing I can't believe ... I can't believe you and Chloe aren't friends anymore."_

_Clark turned away from Lois, maybe hurt at the accusation he found in her eyes. "I turned my back on her," he said, seeming to struggle with some emotion. His next words were layered with tears and regret, throwing Lois' heart into further confusion. "Lois, after you disappeared, I couldn't be around Oliver or Chloe. It reminded me of you and that hurt too much."_

_Lois didn't understand where his strong emotions were coming from, but she felt drawn to him in a way she had never felt before or at least, had never acknowledged. She quietly made her way over to him, watching him carefully._

_"So, I left ... and trained myself to fight Zod."_

_"Clark," she whispered, coming closer to him. "What did you mean about having a history with him?"_

_"Let's just say I made some mistakes," he said, turning back to face her, his words laced with self-recrimination._

_Lois didn't understand why he blamed himself for their current situation. All she could see was Clark who was known for being guilt-ridden over the silliest things, seeming to take the weight of the world upon his shoulders, a burden she didn't think he deserved. "Clark, stop beating yourself up," she said, no longer able to watch him berate himself when all this couldn't possibly have been his fault._

_"You're not alone in this. The truth is, we could all die tomorrow," she said, tears constricting her throat. She didn't understand how she ended up here, in this time and in this place, but she knew that whatever happened, she wanted to hold onto the way that Clark had looked at her this afternoon. The way he was looking at her now-like she was his whole world._

_"Lois, I died when you left," he whispered, his voice strangled with feeling._

_She stepped closer, daring to lay her hand on his chest, emboldened by the acceptance she read in his eyes. "I'm here now," she whispered as he leaned down to kiss her._

_Lois didn't know if they would have more than this night together with Zod on their heels, but Clark's lips touching hers filled her with need, and she tasted his as well. If he thought he was the only one that could save them from Zod, then he would need strength to see him through tomorrow's fight. And she intended to give him that strength._

_Lois leaned into the kiss, letting him take her as he may as instinct took over. She would be what she could for him tonight, and as women have for centuries, she would make love to him in the hopes that the love they created would be enough to buoy him to fight the darkness to come._

_As Clark kissed her, she felt a connection to him to her toes, one that she had never imagined possible. Kissing Ollie had never been like this, all consuming and all enveloping. She felt Clark's fingers on her shirt, as he suddenly ripped it open. As their passion grew, Lois felt desperate to get closer to him; she needed him as much as he seemed to need her. Her own fingers roamed over his chest, and she only absently wondered why she had never noticed how well built he was before. She knew he was strong, but feeling the planes of that strength taught beneath her fingers was another thing all together._

_He had been through so much, and this much more vulnerable Clark touched her heart in a way she never thought possible. She would be his solace tonight, and whether or not they survived this world, they would forever have this moment between them, a meeting of destined souls that was in the wrong time and place, yet felt right all the same._

_Somehow, they found themselves on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms as each sought to kiss, hold, feel. Lois marveled at how gentle Clark was, despite all of his strength and urgency. At one point, he looked in her eyes and smiled, the look of openness and love there searing her to her soul. This moment, out of time, a glimpse of the future, would remain with her forever, no matter what the dawn would bring._

~\S/~

_The next morning, still wrapped in each other's arms, Lois woke just as the red streaks of early morning sunlight lay across the floor. Somehow, during the night, after their passion had subsided, she had ended up spooning Clark, protecting him from all the blame he laid on himself, and shielding him from the dangers that would surely come._

_Lazily, she reached over him, her fingers dancing over the planes of his chest. The unease of what was to come today would not abate, yet she was surprised to feel comforted by what she had shared with Clark. She had meant to offer solace, and yet she had found it in his arms for herself. But she knew it could not last… Zod was still at war with their planet…_

_Restless, yet not wanting to wake Clark just yet, she slid from the bed, taking a sheet with her. The cool cotton of the sheet contrasted with the warm rays of the early morning sun. She made her way to the balcony, looking out across a Metropolis that she no longer recognized, a place that was no longer home._

_Welcomed, yet unexpected, she felt Clark's arms come around her waist. She melted into his touch, memories of their night together sending sensations of pleasure rippling through her body._

_She felt his breath on her neck as he whispered huskily, "I wish we had more time."_

_She reached up to touch his jaw, turning in his embrace as her eyes met his. Yes, they both wished they had more than just this moment. They leaned into each other, kissing, sharing an echo of the passion they had created the night before._

_This moment might be all they would ever have…_

~\S/~

Lois had fallen asleep sometime during the last hour of the movie. Her head was cradled under Clark's arm, her breathing quiet and steady. Clark shut off the TV and turned slightly to look at her, yet carefully, so as not to disturb her slumber. He reached over to brush her hair back from her forehead as he studied her face.

She trusted him. And he knew that with Lois Lane, her trust wasn't to be taken lightly.

Yet look at all the ways he had betrayed it, either through lies or omissions of the truth. Yet since she had unburdened some of her heart to him tonight, she seemed to be sleeping more peacefully. Maybe the horrors of a world overrun by aliens—_his_ people, he was loath to remind himself—maybe those dreams didn't haunt her this night.

He should get to bed-or better yet, to the Fortress. Maybe Jor-El could fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle Lois had laid out for him. That is, if his Kryptonian father wasn't angry with him for rejoining human society. The Fortress had been quiet since his return to the Planet…

The idea that he shouldn't belong in normal human society grated on him; he didn't like the idea of being above others in order to protect humanity. In fact, when he looked back on his life so far, he thought he had been happier and more successful at protecting other s when he felt human, when he lived and loved right alongside them.

And especially with Lois.

Even as the Blur she accepted him, no questions asked, because she knew he intended to do the right thing. She had no idea though, how much her belief in the Blur helped direct his moral compass. He often found himself asking, 'Would Lois still see the Blur as a hero if I did this?' And if the answer was no, he would always find another way.

He didn't remember a specific moment when he knew that Lois was meant to be more than just his friend.

Maybe it was an accumulation of little moments, that all added up to a person and a connection that he realized he didn't ever want to live without.

Maybe it had been one of her quirky comments that she'd say at an uncanny moment, cutting through his self-doubt.

Maybe it was the way she never gave up on any of them, even when she was frightened for herself.

Maybe it was the way she trusted him, even when she was angry with him, like she had been tonight.

Maybe it had been the way she had let him hold her after she had broken up with Oliver and had cried on his shoulder.

...or the way she had let him hold her while she cried on his shoulder tonight.

It was past midnight, and they both had to be at the Planet early tomorrow. But he couldn't bear to leave her out here on the sofa, alone in the drafty living room.

There were three rooms upstairs, including the guest room that had been her room once upon a time. He didn't want to wake her, though. If she had managed to keep Zod at bay in her dreams, he wanted to let her sleep.

So, as gently as he could, he scooped her up in his arms, her head lolling towards his shoulder. Had he never noticed how beautiful she was, especially vulnerable like this in his arms? She snuggled in closer to him, and he thought she whispered his name, a quiet sigh on her lips.

Clark carried her quietly up the stairs as he entertained all sorts of thoughts about Lois in his arms he had never let himself think about before.

Besides the wayward thoughts that holding a soft, vulnerable Lois in his arms had conjured, he wondered what would happen if he told her he was the Blur? Would she still trust him? Or would that trust be ruined from all of his lies over the years?

And, if she did accept him, was it selfish of him to want to tell her? Would she be put in danger by virtue of having that knowledge?

He sighed. He couldn't tell her, as much as he fantasized about unburdening his soul to her, he couldn't do that to her.

He stepped into the guest room, the light from the hallway shining the way to the bed. Suddenly, her eyes drifted open.

"Smallville?" she asked, still half asleep.

"I'm here, Lois. Go back to sleep," he whispered, laying her down on the bed and tucking her into the covers.

She unexpectedly reached up her hand to cup his cheek. He was so startled by the movement, that he didn't flinch, but just watched her to see what she would do.

"I wish we had more time, too, Smallville. But we'll always have the memory of last night," she murmured, her eyes half open.

Clark had no idea where that sentiment had come from, nor the rush of sensation her feathery fingers had on his senses.

But her hand just as suddenly fell onto the covers, just as her eyes drifted shut and she fell back asleep.

Clark left the room quietly, standing in the doorway, watching her sleep.

Maybe it had been tonight.

Maybe it was this moment that made him realize the truth.

Maybe he had known all along…

Clark loved her.


	4. Chapter 4

Clark stood in the kitchen the next morning, holding the Legion ring in the early morning sunlight. He didn't know what folly had possessed him to bring it out—except that maybe it held the answers he so desperately needed.

It was dangerous to know the future-but could it be more dangerous not to know?

He turned it around in his fingers, contemplating it in the sunlight. One slip onto his finger and he could have questions answered—what did Lois see exactly? And how could he stop it all from coming to pass?

Or, possibly a more tantalizing question—what would Lois mean to him in the future? If they survived Zod, what then? Would they ever get past this flirt-and-run stage of their relationship?

But he knew meddling with the future was dangerous. The Legion ring wasn't to be taken lightly and used on a whim just because he had a few questions he wanted answered.

He heard Lois coming down the stairs. Not wanting her to see the ring, he quickly opened the nearest drawer, tossing it back to its furthest corner as he resumed washing dishes from the night before.

"Morning," he called over his shoulder, as he scrubbed away the stubborn cheese stains on the plates. "There's orange juice in the fridge… And I made some pancake batter, just have to cook it up."

"Sounds good to me," she said through a sleepy yawn.

He glanced around to see Lois grinning in his direction.

"What?" he asked a little self-consciously.

She shook her head, and attempted to hide her smile behind the glass of orange juice she had just poured. "Nothing. Just—guess I have you to thank for my lack of a stiff neck this morning, that's all. Must have dozed off during the movie…"

"Yeah… I—" he cleared his throat, images of holding Lois' soft warm body in his arms making him stumble on his words. "You—well, you just didn't look comfortable on the sofa, so—"

"It's fine, Smallville," she answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Just wish I had been awake enough to enjoy you carrying me to bed…" she murmured to herself under her breath.

Clark pretended like he hadn't heard. "What was that?"

"Nothing—" she responded innocently.

Clark turned back to drying the plates so she couldn't see him smile. Just then, Clark's phone started buzzing. He picked it up off the counter and saw it was a text from Chloe:  
><em>Watctower, pronto. Development with Tess.<em>

He sighed and looked regretfully at Lois. He had been kind of looking forward to eating breakfast with her this morning.

"Lois, I'm sorry," he smiled apologetically, waving his phone at her to indicate something had come up. "I—I have a source I have to meet-" he stammered, hating that he couldn't- or wouldn't- just tell her that Chloe may know something about what Tess was up to.

"I understand. Stories wait for no man. I'll see you at the Planet, later?"

"Yeah, of course," he nodded. He stepped over to the fridge and pulled out the ready-made batter. "Sorry about breakfast. Think you can handle making some pancakes on your own?"

"Sure. How hard can it be?" she shrugged good-naturedly, meanwhile dubiously looking into the bowl of pre-made batter.

Watching her, in all her quirkiness, Clark had a sudden urge to leave a very domestic kiss on Lois' forehead as he departed.  
>Instead, he shook his head at his own wayward thoughts and grabbed his jacket.<p>

"I'll see you later, Lois," he said, heading to the door.

The porch door swung shut, and in an instant, he was gone.

~\S/~

"Hmmm… okay, pancakes. This can't be that hard, right Shelby?" Lois said, nosing in the cabinets for a pan as Shelby wagged her tail next to her.

Lois looked down at the dog again, and then noticed her empty food dish. "Aw, did Smallville forget to feed you? Don't worry; I'll make sure you don't starve."

Lois found some Dog Chow in the pantry and fed a relieved Shelby, then resumed her mission to find a suitable pan for pancakes.

"Aha! This one will do," she said proudly, eventually brandishing a flat pan. "Now as for a spatula…"

She went digging through some drawers, searching for a spatula. "I may not know my way around the kit—"

She stopped as a very familiar object suddenly caught her eye in one of the drawers. For a moment, she just stared at the ring, afraid to touch it again lest it send her off on some other weird trip she wouldn't be able to explain later.

"Why would Clark have this ring, Shelby?" she asked aloud, but Shelby was too intent on her kibbles to worry about what Lois was mumbling.

"Just—pick it up, Lois. It can't hurt you," she coached herself, summoning courage. Seeing the ring again, made all of those memories come rushing back. She remembered too the moment at the Planet, when she was fighting with Tess… She had found the ring, slipped it on her finger and bam-ended up in a world where aliens had taken over the earth and Clark Kent loved her.

How had it happened? Had the ring somehow _sent_ her somewhere?

Lois eventually picked up the ring, being very careful not to let it slip down her finger. What was it doing here hidden in the Kent junk drawer, anyway? Was this another one of the things that Clark had either been given by the Blur, or dare she suggest—he had taken from him?

Either way, Clark shouldn't have this ring. It was dangerous. She knew what it could do—rip you out of a moment and send you careening into a world that didn't make any sense. Clark didn't need to deal with that responsibility. The ring must belong to the Blur. Somehow, she had to get it back to him, and away from her or Clark.

One of them having disturbing memories of an apocalyptic future was more than enough.

~\S/~

All morning Lois felt like the ring was burning a hole in her purse. She felt guilty for just taking it from Clark—but maybe he hadn't even known he had it. It had been, after all, shoved in a drawer with a myriad other odds and ends. Yes, she justified to herself, she was right to take it. It didn't belong to him—it belonged in safer hands. The Blur's hands.  
>She spent most of the morning checking email and researching about the latest political scandal involving Ray Sacks, the meat and potatoes of her next article.<p>

A new email popped up in her inbox:  
>"PRESS RELEASE: Tess Mercer, former head of LuthorCorp, signs off on project with RAO Corporation to build largest solar energy tower in the world."<p>

Lois read the short blurb several times, shaking her head with disbelief. This couldn't be right… this was just like her dream… surely it couldn't be the strange tower that had given Zod and his band of terrorists superpowers?

"No, no, no… this can't be happening," she murmured to her screen. "I need to talk to the Blur!" she whispered fiercely under her breath. "And where is Clark?"

Her partner was running late to the office, still with his source apparently. She didn't want to call him in case he was in the middle of something important, but she didn't think this should wait. So she texted him instead: _Tess' tower is a go. What do we do now?_

Lois tried to go back to her other work, but suddenly the article on Sacks just wasn't holding her interest. She wondered if Tess even understood at this point what she was getting herself into with Zod. Yet, raising the red flag to Tess wasn't the best idea either—she'd push Lois for any information she had, and Lois didn't want to be at that particular redhead's mercy.

Her phone started ringing, and the caller came up 'unknown.' She let out a slightly gleeful yelp and answered.

"Thank goodness you called," she said, the relief in her voice evident.

"Lois, what's the matter?" said the Blur's voice, distorted through the voice scrambler he was fond of using.

"I think-well, I have a lot to tell you about… You know those visions I'd been having?"

"Visions?"

"Yeah—um, red sun, Tess, Zod…? Well, I think it's starting to come true. I just got a press release memo that says Tess Mercer is the money behind a new solar tower."

"And what do you think she plans to do with it?"

"Well, from the visions I had, nothing good. It will turn the sun red, and give Zod and his buddies an energy boost that's a bit stronger than your average RedBull drink."

"Surely you don't think a solar tower would turn the sun red?"

"Yes, I do! And I think—a red sun will take your powers away… In my dream—you were dead," she said, her voice shaking a little as she remembered.

"Lois, everything will be fine. Trust me."

She breathed in, closing her eyes as she took in those words. "I do trust you—" she paused, digging into her bag for the ring. "Oh, and I have something of yours. I think it started this whole mess in the first place and I don't think Clark should keep it. It's a large gold ring—and I think it's what brought on my acid trip to the future."

"I—lent the ring to Clark. But from what you're telling me, maybe I could use it to stop Zod—find out what his intentions really are. Meet me on the roof of the Planet in an hour?"

"I'll be there," she breathed, her heart beginning to race with excitement. Was this it? Was she actually going to finally meet the Blur?

~\S/~

Clark came sauntering into the bullpen ten minutes later. Chloe and he had been discussing what to do about Zod's new tower going up all morning. From what Lois remembered from her dream, it seemed this tower was a portent of bad things to come. They reasoned that maybe if Tess wasn't entirely in Zod's back pocket yet, they could warn her about the dangers of working with him. Though talking to Tess always came with its own dangers…

Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, his thoughts kept returning to Lois. She had trusted him with her strange secrets, and in so doing, he had finally admitted to himself how much she meant to him. Maybe it was time to stop hiding—at least hiding his heart. If he could at minimum tell her how he felt about her, then maybe revealing the truth about the Blur when all this mess with Zod's tower was over with wouldn't be so difficult.

He had all of these thoughts churning in his head as he stepped into the bullpen, his eyes focused on Lois.

"Whoa, easy on the stare down, Clark. I'd swear you could shoot lasers out of those eyes," Lois said as he came to stand by her desk.

"Sorry, " he shook his head as if to clear it from some of his darker concerns. "Just been one of those mornings… Can I talk to you? The copy room?" he asked in a low voice, so as not to attract unwanted attention from nearby colleagues, leaning over her desk.

"Sure. As long as it doesn't take too long. I have a hush-hush I need to get to in about forty-five minutes."

"This will only take a minute, I promise."

Apparently intrigued, Lois followed him into the copy room. As she shut the door behind them, he stood with his hands loosely on his hips, looking slightly away from her as he thought about how to begin.

"What is it, Clark?" she queried softly, seeming to notice his discomfiture.

"What are we doing, Lois?" he asked turning intent blue eyes on her.

She watched him carefully, uncertain. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, us. Clark and Lois. Lois and Clark," he gestured between them. "Lois, you opening up to me last night, meant so much. That you trusted me—and I—" he sighed, thinking again of all the ways he had been dishonest with her. "Look, will you have dinner with me tonight?" he asked in a rush, suddenly inspired as he lost his courage to confess his heart here and now.

"Smallville, what's this about? You're asking me on a date, yet I feel like you're doing it because there's a monkey on your back forcing you to do so. I don't understand."

He nodded, understanding her confusion. He was acting a little all over the place-being the last son of Krypton and trying to stem an alien invasion while trying to tell the woman you love the truth will do that to you sometimes. "I'm sorry, Lois. I promise—everything will be clear tonight. I'll make reservations for us at Alessandro's."

"Clark Kent, are you actually going to try and woo me?" she asked with a suspicious laugh, still not entirely convinced.

He stepped towards her, his nervous energy dissipating as he laid his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. He saw all of those things in Lois that drew him to her. Her tenacity, her heart, even her sense of humor. She had to know what he felt for her, and he tried to convey some of that depth of feeling with his eyes, as his voice couldn't seem to get the right words to form.

"Smallville?" she asked in a whisper, her eyes searching his as she seemed to sense his strong emotions, just under the surface.

After a long moment, he found his voice. It wasn't hurried or frustrated this time; just subdued and warm. "Let's just say that some things have become clearer to me," he said tenderly, cupping her cheek.

He leaned in, breathing in her perfume and shampoo and her- Loisness. She had no idea how much power she had over him, as he felt weak and strong at once in her presence. It was why he knew he had to tell her what he felt for her, she had to know that no matter what, he needed her, loved her. He leaned in closer, her lips just under his, almost coming to a kiss, when suddenly someone cleared their throat at the door.

They suddenly stepped away from each other like two guilty schoolchildren. The moment ripe for a kiss had suddenly evaporated into thin air.

"Uh, Kent? Miss Mercer wants to talk with you upstairs," said a go-fer copy boy in a nervous voice.

Clark sighed, but glanced again at Lois, a regretful smile on his face. "I'll see you later."

~\S/~

Lois stood rooted in the copy room, momentarily speechless by Clark's actions. They had been about to kiss if that copy boy hadn't interrupted. Her cheeks felt warm and her legs were a bit unsteady. She had seen a glimpse of the Clark of her dreams just now, and it was quite a bit to take in. She grabbed a nearby manila folder to fan herself.

She'd definitely be at that dinner tonight. Wild horses or even a monster truck rally couldn't keep her away from seeing that look in Clark's eyes again…

His sudden talk of trust made her nervous though. Was she doing the right thing giving the ring back to the Blur? She believed she was—it didn't belong in just anyone's hands, power like that. And not that she didn't trust Clark, but she had disappeared for three weeks when she slipped it on. What if Clark did the same, looking for answers, and disappeared—forever?

With renewed determination, she gathered her things and headed to the roof to meet the Blur.

~\S/~

It was a windy, grey day in Metropolis.

Lois pulled her trench tight around her, wishing she had grabbed her scarf as well. "Hello?" she called out to the empty rooftop. "Are you here?"

She looked around, hearing little else but wind in her ears. Had she been mistaken? Maybe she was supposed to leave the ring here somewhere so he could whoosh by and take it. Maybe he didn't mean for them to actually meet.

"I have the ring," she called out, fingering the object in her pocket carefully.

A man in a long black jacket stepped forward from a shadowed corner, and Lois swallowed a small gasp. He hadn't turned to face her yet, but she felt a thrill of seeing even this much of him at last all the same.

"Is it really you?" she said, her words immediately getting lost in the wind around them.

"Thank you, Lois, for coming," he said, still not facing her.

That voice… it seemed familiar to her… but she didn't feel the comfort she had expected to feel when hearing the Blur's real voice for the first time. Yet, she thought she knew that voice…

"I understand if you don't want to show your face to me. It's better that way, isn't it? Safer, for me?" she asked, speaking slightly louder to cut through the wind around them.

He glanced over his shoulder, slightly revealing the top of his profile over his high collar. But it was enough.

Lois suddenly knew where she had recognized that voice… and that face.

General Zod.

She stepped back, slowly creating distance between them. She had been a fool, deceived!

"You," she whispered fearfully, trying to recall about how many paces it was behind her to the door and safety.

"Lois, you can pass me the ring, my dear," he said, reaching behind him with an open palm.

"I—I—" she choked out, afraid to take her eyes off him, and yet afraid to run to the door lest he stop her. Did he have powers now? Or was it only the red sun that gave them to him?

"Lois?" he asked, seemingly puzzled.

"I—made a mistake. I left the ring in my desk—I'll just—" she said, now turning to reach for the door.

But quicker than a flash, Zod was at the door, blocking her way. "I don't think you understand, Lois. I need the ring," he said coolly, fully facing her now.

"You're not the Blur," she said evenly, her hand moving to her pocket where she kept the item in question.

His lips curled in a snarl. "No, no I'm not. I'm someone who doesn't care whether you live or die."

He reached for her, but before he could touch her, Lois slipped the ring on her finger. Her one thought—_take me to the Blur._

~\S/~

When the flash of light ebbed, Lois kept her eyes squeezed shut, afraid to open them and see that she had been tossed back into that horrible, doomsday world again.

But as she stood still, her eyes still closed, she simply heard the gentle hum of the elevator at the Planet. Cautiously, she opened one eye, and seeing it was safe, she opened the other. The Planet? Had the ring simply transferred her inside the building?

She pressed the floor for the bullpen and was relieved when the doors opened. She made a beeline to her desk, but noticed someone else's nameplate sitting on it.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked no one in particular.

"What is it, Miss Lane?" a nearby colleague that she didn't recognize responded.

"My desk. What happened to all my stuff?"

The man, clearly uneasy, simply pointed across the room. "You haven't sat down here with us for quite a while, Miss Lane. Your office is over there."

He pointed to a frosted glass door, and curious, Lois made her way over to it. As she approached, she noticed that the names etched on the door were Clark's and her own, though she was slightly dismayed to see she got second billing.

"A new office? Is Tess off her rocker?" she said, stepping inside.

All around her was a spacious office, with an envious view that overlooked Metropolis. Two large desks sat in the middle of the room, complete with plush executive chairs.

"I must be dreaming," she whispered, fingering the dark maple desk.

The door suddenly opened behind her, and she turned around to see Clark, his hair slicked back and wearing dark black framed glasses.

"Clark! Thank God, that was a close call—" she started. "To think I almost—hey, since when do you wear such geeky eyewear, Smallville?" she interrupted herself, momentarily taken aback.

"Trying some new frames… lost my wire ones during a change yesterday," he said, pushing them up the bridge of his nose to readjust them on his face. "I thought you were still in Washington with the President?" he said, coming over to her.

"The Pres—" but he cut her off with a surprising, if quick kiss on the lips.

"Whoa there, Smallville, shouldn't we be taking this a hair slower?" she said, taking a step back from him.

"Oh, Lois?" he said absently, sifting through his mail pile on his desk. "The Superman charity banquet got bumped to tonight. I thought it wouldn't matter because you were still in Washington...and I know I still owe you a dinner out. But I promise, I'll make it up to you later," he said, coming to stand behind her and nuzzle kisses into her neck.

Though the physical attention was nice, Lois had no idea what had gotten into him or what he was rambling on about. "Superman?" she asked vaguely.

He suddenly looked off to the side, his head tilted slightly and an intent gleam in his eye. "Suicide Slums… Two fires…" he murmured with the shake of his head. "Walk with me?"

She couldn't help but follow him. This new, confident Clark Kent was compelling, even if she had no idea what was going on with him.

"I'll take off from the roof," he said in a low tone, so only she could here. She followed him to the elevator, her eyes glued to him as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Only vaguely did she think this- change had something to do with the ring, but she didn't quite understand what or how. "I can get there in time… But it's been a week since I've seen you, and I'd like a moment alone," Clark said, giving her a glance that warmed her to her toes.

With that, he pulled her onto the elevator, pushing the button so the elevator wouldn't make any other stops besides their final destination.

"I'm glad you're back early, Lois. I've missed you," he said huskily, pulling her into his arms. Before she could protest, he was kissing her, his strong hands holding her up, even as they roamed knowingly around her body. He seemed to hit all of her right buttons, like they did this all the time. But she couldn't focus on more than that, overwhelmed by the fact that she was making out with Clark Kent in the Planet elevator.

As they reached the roof, he reluctantly pulled away, leaving her breathless.

"We'll finish where we left off later. For now, I have to go save the day."

She followed him out onto the roof, mesmerized and still slightly dazed from the kiss in the elevator. Suddenly, he stepped away from her and spun at superspeed.

All she could see was a blur of red and blue—and then, there he was, "Superman," she whispered automatically, somehow recalling that name he had mentioned in the office.

"See you later, honey," he said, taking off into the skies at the speed of light.

She stood there, dazed and confused for a moment. Had Clark really just turned into a spandex-wearing superhero and _flown_ off the roof of the Planet?

She stumbled towards the ledge, her eyes straining to see where he had gone, but the red-blue streak was hard to follow. She gripped the wall, trying to stabilize her legs.

_What just happened?_

The red and blue…the 'S' on his uniform—it was the same as the Blur's! _Clark_ was the Blur? Only, in this alternate universe, or alternate time, he didn't slink around in shadows and hide. He was out in the open—a true symbol of hope.

Like she had always imagined the Blur could be.

Only now, it was for real.

And what's more… Clark Kent was one hell of a kisser.


	5. Chapter 5

Lois slowly found her way back to their spectacular corner office, still trying to process the kiss, Superman—the Blur. She walked around the bullpen in a daze, unbelieving that Clark Kent—her farm boy partner and best friend—no, more than friends. Between that kiss and her memory of rolling in the sheets with him, it was time he got elevated to more than just best friend-but that her Clark was the Blur.

It made perfect sense, really. She had always seen a hero in him in one form or another, reluctant as she had been to admit it at times. But the thought that Clark was really the Blur sent a thrill through her. How many sleepless nights had she wrestled with her heart, trying to reconcile her budding feelings for Clark and for the mysterious Blur? She knew at the time that it had been folly to hope there could ever be anything between her and the Blur, as he needed to remain anonymous in order to save the world—but if Clark was the Blur… couldn't that open up a world of possibilities?

She stood for a long time in front of the window, gazing into the clear sky over Metropolis, still in partial shock. The Blur could _fly_? Since when? She hoped she'd see him again… She simply couldn't believe Smallville was actually a hero in tights, running off to save the day, who kissed like a god, and—it was simply too much to process.

She made her way over to her executive desk, staring at the computer screen for a long moment, still lost in her thoughts.

"Pull yourself together," she eventually admonished to herself, realizing she could be doing some research to answer a few questions about her sudden change in circumstances. Once she set that task for herself, Lois was able to settle in and start digging through the Planet archives on the Intranet. The first page, which showed the current issue of the Daily Planet, shocked her. Not because of the articles, but because of the date.

2017.

"Holy smokes… This is the future?" Not an alternate reality. Not a strange dream. But the future. Her future…

She glanced at the ring still on her finger, trying to understand how it brought her here. She didn't remember taking it off before on her travels to the alien invasion, but she recalled having put it back on in order to return to the present. Yet she was scared if she did take it off now, it would send her immediately back to her present time, and she wasn't ready to leave just yet.

She wanted answers.

She wanted to see Superman again.

She wanted to kiss Clark again…

There were definitely things she needed to learn before she whooshed back to the present.

Lois scanned through the archives, looking for when the Blur became Superman. She didn't know why she felt that was the most important thing to find out first, because her other big question was one Clark himself would have to answer.

Namely, when did they become a couple? Were they married? And most importantly, did he really love her?

All of her life, Lois had felt left behind, had struggled to get out of the shadow of the men in her life with seemingly greater destinies than her own. It was part of the reason she had broken up with Ollie. And why her relationship with the General was always on edge. And now, as wonderful as it was learning that Clark was really the Blur, she still wondered if she could keep up with a destiny like that.

The screen blinked, bringing her back to the present. She had found it.

May 13, 2011. Superman's debut.

She was proud to see she had written the article, and it made her curious to know where her career had gone on from there.

So, she next put in her name in the search engine, getting over 700 hits. She narrowed the search to 'Lois Lane' and 'Superman', which brought up 420 articles. Then she saw a button for 'prize winning articles,' and couldn't resist clicking on that.

She couldn't help but gasp with pleased surprise. Under her name, were five Kerth awards and two Pulitzers. And just cause she couldn't help her curiosity, she then put in Clark's name. Two Kerths, and one of the Pulitzers she had won, had also been his.

So they were still partners.

Obviously. If the shared executive office hadn't been an indication. But still, it was nice to know that they were partners in print as well.

But still…did she take a back seat to his superhero duties? Sure, she held her own in journalism, but did he really _need_ her?

She stared at the empty chair across from her, thinking of the often-empty chair across from her old desk on so many days. The whole superhero thing certainly explained Smallville's random absences… but it also made her wonder.

Even with all of her accomplishments to evidence, what she still needed to know was, was there really room for her in a life as full of responsibility as his?

~\S/~

After her curiosity was satisfied, Lois began to fidget, wondering how she would explain herself to Clark. He had to know that she wasn't—well, herself. Not exactly, anyway. And apparently her future self was off interviewing the President of the United States, which even she admitted, was pretty awesome.

She didn't have to wait long for Clark, though. He came back a short while later, looking even more handsome than she remembered, even with the slicked back hair and geekazoid glasses.

"Hey, Lois. Surprised I didn't see you downtown, covering the fires," he said, hanging his jacket on the coat tree.

"Clark, we need to talk," she said a little tersely, having been freaking out for the last hour about her recent discoveries and subsequent questions.

"What is it, Lois? Is everything all right?"

She shook her head, crossing her arms, as she leaned her hip against his desk. His cornflower blue eyes looked at her with concern, and he reached to rub her upper arms gently. "What is it?"

"Clark—" she said, and then, unsure of where to begin and unable to really speak with him so near, she lifted her hand with the gold ring on it and showed it to him. "I'm not who you think I am… well, I _am_—but—"

He took her hand in his looking at the ring, and then his eyes met hers. "You're from the past?" he asked, realization suddenly dawning. "Lois, what were you doing with the Legion ring in the first place? I hid that thing-wait, I remember. You disappeared the afternoon that—" he paused, his jaw moving as he chewed on a thought.

Then, with sudden decisiveness he said, "Lois, everything will be fine. Just take the ring off, and put it back on again, thinking of home."

She pulled her hand out of his, lest he try to send her back himself. "Clark, I'm not Dorothy, clicking her heels to head back to home-sweet-home Kansas, and I want to talk to you first!" she said, his close proximity making it hard to breathe and just a little irritable—all she could think about was that kiss! And… Superman! How the hell did Smallville keep all of this under wraps for so long?

"_When_ were you-did you—tell me that you are the Blur?" she finally blurted, surprising herself with how hurt she sounded. "I mean, I get the need to protect your secret-but-why did you keep it so long from me?"

His eyes met hers, and she could see the concern he felt for her there. She wondered how much her own conveyed the hurt she felt.

"Chloe knew, didn't she?" she asked quietly, as a hundred little things about her cousin's relationship with Clark suddenly began to make sense. "Was I the last one to know?"

"Lois—you have to understand. There were so many times when I had wanted to tell you. I kept it from you because I didn't want to hurt you-but Lois, I did eventually tell you," he said patiently.

"Well, obviously," she shrugged, as unexpected tears welled up in her eyes.

"Please, don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry, Lois," he said, handing her a tissue, his voice laced with anguish.

"It's not your fault…this is all just a lot to take in. But-um, are we-married?" she asked after a moment, the other burning question finally coming to the surface.

He raked his fingers through his hair and then laughed ruefully. She looked taken aback, but he quickly shook his head. "You don't understand. You and I have been trying to get married for almost seven years. But every time—there's something that stops us. Plane crashes. Asteroids. Villains… you name it, it's somehow managed to come between us and a wedding altar. But Lois," he said her name tenderly, taking her hands in his. "We_ are_ married, in our hearts. There's no one else for either of us. And someday, we'll make it official. "

She let go of some of the worry that had been building up inside her, seeing how much he cared about her.

"I'm proud of you, Clark," she said eventually, sincerely, when she could breathe again, her emotions back under control. "I always knew the Blur could become a symbol for hope in the world, and it looks like you've accomplished that."

"Lois, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Really?" she asked, sounding unconvinced.

He looked at her in surprise. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

He continued to hold her hand, gently stroking her palm as he spoke. "Lois, I couldn't be Superman without you. I couldn't sustain this life day after day, without having you by my side. I—" he seemed to change what he wanted to say, and he shifted so he was propped up on his desk next to her. "Do you remember those three weeks you were gone? When you told me about those visions you had of Zod?"

She nodded. "For me, it was just last night that I told you." She suddenly turned to him. "What happened? Did you defeat Zod? Well obviously you did—I mean you're here—in the far future—" Her head was spinning with this time traveling stuff.

"Lois, calm down. Everything worked out fine. I destroyed the RAO tower shortly after they started building it."

She began to breathe a little easier.

"But Lois, back to what I was saying… You wondered where I had been while you were away. I was training, learning about my heritage—but I—" he shook his head. "It's a lot to explain, and I want to save some of the good parts for my past self to tell you," he said with a secretive smile. "—but my point is, I came back to the Daily Planet because of you, when I was honest with myself. You see, I had tried to walk away from being Clark Kent. But Lois, when I saw you on that train, my heart told me—even if my head wasn't listening at the time—that my place was with you."

She looked into his eyes, touched and surprised by his confession.

"And I don't-get in the way of you being… Superman?" she shrugged a little sheepishly, taking in his boxy suit and glasses, which served to disguise the fantastical figure she had witnessed on the roof.

He laughed heartily, rolling his eyes, "Lois, you get in the way all the time!"

She started to pull away, hurt, but he tugged her back to face him. "But I wouldn't have it any other way," he said tenderly." I expect to see you in the middle of the action. That's where Lois Lane thrives. And I'll _always_ be there looking out for you. Lois, when you go back to your own time and talk to the man I was, just remember, that you—just being you—helped make me the man that I am today."

"And what, pray tell, do I tell you?" she asked him in slight exasperation. "I mean, granting that I even remember this little trip into the future… and that it's not all a dream," she said a little sadly. She moved from the desk, looking out across the city as she had done earlier, her pose slightly self-defensive with her arms lightly crossed. "I want you to trust me enough to tell me the truth yourself," she said quietly. "I don't want to force it out of you."

He suddenly came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, like he had done in her dream of that other future, that other time. "Then don't," he whispered behind her ear. "I'll tell you, Lois. If you can wait for me… "

She turned in his arms, her eyes meeting his. She knew this might all feel like a dream later, and she wanted to hold onto it, remember it, and have it give her strength when she went back to a Clark who was a bit lunk-headed when it came to the trust department. She wanted to hold onto what it felt like to be loved by _this _Clark. This was even more compelling than those moments of passion in the apocalyptic world; that love had been almost circumstantial. But this—what she saw in his eyes, was for keeps.

"I would wait for you all my life," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

He obliged her, leaning in to meet her, wrapping his arms around her waist as her arms came over his shoulders, her fingers wending their way through his hair. She kissed him, full of all the possibilities that could lie before them. She kissed him with the promise that she wouldn't abandon him, that she would give him the gift of time… that eventually they would come full circle to this place in their lives where they loved and supported each other openly and freely.

His kiss was full of promise as well. Showing her what it would be like for them, that he trusted her with his heart, with his secret. All those that had found out about it, had used it against him one way or another, or held it over his head when the tough got going. But not Lois. Never Lois. She trusted him, loved him enough to wait until he was ready to tell her the truth, and it had made all the difference.

He pulled away after a moment, to look in her eyes. He brushed her hair out of her face and his eyes suddenly lit up with impish delight. "Lois? How would you like to go flying?"

~\S/~

They were on the roof a few moments later, giddy as children. Lois watched in awe as he changed once more into his super-persona.

"Wow, that is so much better in Technicolor," she breathed, taking in the sight of his blue suit, taught over his incredibly muscled body, and his scarlet cape, swishing in the wind behind him.

He stepped toward her, a confidence in his eyes that thrilled her. The Clark of her present had such a long way to go yet, but she couldn't wait to make the journey to become this man with him.

"Are you ready, Miss Lane?" he asked playfully, scooping her up in his arms.

"Are you kidding? This is not something you can prepare for, Smallville!" she laughed, snuggling tighter into his embrace.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he said, slowly taking them up into the air.

Lois was breathless for the first few moments of flight, aware only of Clark's arms holding her securely, and the gentle whisper of wind in her ears. She never felt a moment of fear, only thrilling excitement; this moment was kismet and destiny. She felt as if she had flown in Superman's arms a hundred times, in different lifetimes, in different places… but this was their special destiny, and her heart thrilled to witness it firsthand.

The sun was beginning to set around them, casting a golden and pink glow over the city, reflecting off the glass buildings and dancing across Hobb's Bay. The city was alive with magic for Lois, and she couldn't imagine anything more perfect than flying like this, in Clark's arms, as only Clark could do.

"When did you learn to fly?" she asked after a while, in between Clark pointing out various landmarks across the city.

"I always had the ability in me… but you-you were the last piece of the puzzle, Lois. Once I understood what we would mean to each other, everything came together after that. I became Superman because of you."

"That's a lot for a girl to be responsible for," she said.

"But it only works because we love each other. That we help each other."

"True partners?" she interrupted softly.

He nodded. "Exactly. Just remember that."

Eventually they flew back to the roof of the Planet. Lois, not wanting the magic to end, held onto him, even when his feet landed on the rooftop. She stared up at him, in awe, in love.

She knew it couldn't last, and she groaned, conveying her reluctance that this should end eventually. "Do I really have to go back? Can't we just pick up things from here?"

He laughed ruefully, his eyes dancing, "Lois, you know it won't work that way. My Lois will be back tomorrow, and paradoxes can't sustain themselves in time travel. Besides, I _need_ you to go back…" He seemed to suddenly remember something, as the levity from his expression disappeared and was replaced by seriousness, "Lois, you have to go back to save me."

"What? What do you mean?" she asked frightfully. "Please tell me you are speaking figuratively."

He shook his head. "No, unfortunately I'm not. Lois, I can't explain. But it's a necessary piece of the puzzle, Lois. Just please, it's time that you return."

She nodded, trusting his urgency, even if she was sad to let this version of her hero go.

Watching her expressions, he tried to smooth over her regret. "Lois, I'm your future. There's no reason to be disappointed," he said, cupping her cheek in farewell.

He looked off to the side, like she had seen him do earlier.

"Another emergency somewhere?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I have to go, Lois. Please, put the ring back on."

She nodded, preparing to do just that, but then she suddenly changed her mind, and ran the few feet to him and tossed her arms around him again, laying another kiss on his lips. "For good luck, soldier. See you in the trenches," she whispered tenderly.

He kissed her again, quickly, and then lifted off slightly from the ground, hovering. "Go, Lois. I need you."

She nodded, and then slipped the ring back on. The last thing she saw in the blinding light was a streak of red and blue, flashing across the Metropolis sky.

~\S/~

Lois found herself back on the rooftop in Metropolis, but no beautiful sunset greeted her. Instead, a steady rain and a nighttime sky, the rain soaking her and leaving her cold. It was as if this was the flip-side of that other world… here, there was still chaos, still secrets… and she longed for one more moment in the presence of a Clark who knew who he was and what his place was in the world.

"Wait," she breathed in, joy suddenly overtaking her. "I remember everything!" There was no confusion like before. No headaches, no flashes of terror, only a beautiful memory that was a glimpse of a sure and happy future.

She even did a little dance in the rain, but then quickly calmed herself and glanced around… _When_ was she? Was Zod still around, lurking around a corner to pounce on her?

And Clark had said that he needed her…

She suddenly took off running into the building, not bothering with the elevator, but dashing down the stairs. Why had Clark said that he needed her? Did Zod have Clark? And what could she possibly do to save Clark from a super-powered alien?

Funny, she hadn't even bothered to ask Clark about being an alien. She smiled to herself, even as she doubled her pace. As long as she wasn't too late, she'd be able to ask Clark all about it in due time.

Finally, she made it to the bullpen. It was mostly empty. She was wet and shivery, and vaguely realized she must look like a drowned rat, soaked from the rain on the roof.

"Clark!" she called, startling one of the cleaning crew.

He wasn't here…. Where was he? Why hadn't the ring taken her to where she could help Clark?

Feeling like she was running out of time, she took to the stairs again, this time to head out onto the street. She didn't know what she was looking for, but her only thought was to save Clark, to save the man she loved. So they could have a future together as brilliant as she had seen merely moments ago.

Though rain still poured down heavily, early morning sunlight was starting to break up the clouds. It was then, that she saw him. Clark was lying in the street, a strange stake stuck into his chest.

"No! Clark!" she called, her voice choked with fear as she rushed to his side. God, was she too late? Clark had needed her—what if she had missed the chance to save him?

"No, come back to me! Clark!" she cried, tears mixing with the rain on her face. She leaned down towards his chest, listening for a heartbeat, but she couldn't hear anything through the pouring rain.

She looked closer at the stake. It looked foreign, alien. And she knew that it must have been Zod that had done this.

'How was I to save you, Clark? You said you needed me! How could I have faced Zod?' she thought wildly, fearful at the thought that Clark was dead, that she was too late. Had it been the flight? Had taking that one indulgence been what made her too late?

"Clark!" she called again. Then, desperate to try anything, she yanked the stake from his chest, the odd blue glow glinting wickedly in the sunlight that was beginning to slow the rainfall. She tossed the fearful blade aside, and then miracle of miracles, heard Clark take in a gasping breath.

"Okay, okay," she whispered, nearly hysterical, as she got up to give him space.

How she longed to stay there by his side and hold him, comfort him that she was there. But it would mean revealing his secret, and Superman's words were still in her mind. She had to give him time, which would mean being a hero in the shadows for now, as much for him as for herself.

She ran across the street, hiding behind some construction equipment to watch him.

As the rain slowed, and the sun came out once more, Clark staggered to his feet, miraculously alive. Lois watched in joy and awe; she made it. He would be all right. Whether it was the power of her love, or the power of the sun that brought him back, she didn't care.

Her hero was alive.


	6. Chapter 6

_~Four weeks earlier~_

Lois was gone… and worse, so was the Legion ring.

Clark had been so wrapped up in trying to work out a plan with Chloe about what to do about Zod's tower, that he had completely forgotten he had left the ring in such a vulnerable place.

And then, as he had entered the bullpen and saw Lois, all he could think about was how it had felt to hold her in his arms the other night. His mind had been so preoccupied with the Kandorians, but his heart—his heart had calmed the moment he had seen Lois working at her desk. And then he had—on impulse—asked her out on a date.

Because he couldn't stand it anymore. The secrecy, the lies… Lois had seemed so confused and lost by what she had seen of the future and his Kryptonian journal. Yet she also seemed to take it all in stride, even the parts that scared her. And he wanted her to trust him… but he knew, keeping secret the truth about himself would always be a barrier to that trust, even if she never realized it.

So he decided he would tell her how he felt about her—and if she accepted that, then maybe, he could share the rest with her as well.

But never got a chance to tell her any of it. She hadn't shown up for the date that night. She had simply disappeared… Even calling her as the Blur, he hadn't been able to reach her, which had sent him into a panic. However, before he had hung up, he had heard her phone ringing from the roof of the Planet. Clark had blurred to the roof, desperate to see if she was there, but all he had found was her silver and pink phone, carelessly tossed aside. It was only then that he had remembered leaving the Legion ring in the kitchen drawer… It was only after a day of mixed emotions, cat and mouse games with Tess and Zod, and worrying about the future… it was only when he realized Lois had vanished entirely that everything had stopped and he had accepted that she might have disappeared into the future once again.

Later, he had stared at that cluttered drawer in his mother's kitchen for what seemed like hours, blaming himself for being so careless. Not just with the ring, but with Lois. By not telling her the truth, he had put her at risk once again.

~\S/~

Clark threw himself into stopping Zod, thinking that if he could stop the future that Lois had seen, it would somehow bring her back. He imagined her being at Zod's mercy in that distant future, and it sent a shiver of fear down his spine that he didn't want to contemplate.

The RAO tower started going up at record speed a week after Lois' disappearance. Clark knew he had to act fast, as he could see that dangerous future now, looming just ahead. His only clue to stopping Zod was to find the Book of Rao, a Kryptonian bible that was thought to hold special powers. He left Chloe in Watchtower with instructions to start hunting for it, while Clark blurred to his favorite spot above the city to think.

The night was cool, the sounds of the city distant below him. Usually coming here would calm him. But now, Clark felt more lost than he had at any other time. Because he had meant for things to be so different. He had wanted to tell Lois what was really going on, who he really was, but he had been scared of the consequences… had been scared of putting her in danger. And yet now, she was gone—somewhere, and he had no idea how to rescue her.

He still had her phone, the only evidence as to her last whereabouts, which he had found on this very roof. He had carried it around with him for the last week, a sort of albatross of guilt that represented his many mistakes, but he had never thought to search through the call list. As the idea hit him now, he didn't know why he hadn't done it before. He knew she had taken the Legion ring, but what if she merely had it in her possession, and hadn't used it? What if something else had happened to her?

Hope mingled with fear surged through him as he turned on her phone and started flipping through her call list, hoping at least for a clue. He noticed that her calls with the Blur actually showed up in the phone history, indicating she must have changed the 'unknown' option to 'the Blur.' So the listed calls could be ones he actually had made, or they could just be telemarketers. He checked the time of the last call made, noticing it was listed as 'the Blur' and shortly after he had asked her out on that date- but he knew he hadn't made that call. Trying to be rational, but getting a sinking feeling in his stomach, he blurred over to Watchtower to have Chloe check it out.

"Chloe, I found Lois' phone. Can you trace the last call she made?"

"One thing at a time, Clark… This Book of Rao search is turning out to be impossible. Every time I get close, I keep getting blocked by someone called the Red Queen."

"Sounds like Checkmate."

Chloe shook her head. "She's not even on their radar. I don't know, Clark. But we'll keep trying." She turned to him with a sigh, holding out her hand. "All right, let's check out Lois' phone."

Clark watched as Chloe did her magic on the computer. She may not know it, but she was her own kind of superhero. Clark knew that he and their ragtag hero team would be lost without her.

After a few minutes, Chloe shook her head. "You're not going to like this, Clark."

"What?" he asked, not able to decipher the computer codes listed on the large screen in front of them.

"The last call was made from a cell owned by RAO Corporation." Chloe crossed her arms in dismay, " I'd be willing to bet that Lois' last caller was Zod."

"What would he want with Lois?" he asked, getting more concerned by the second.

"I don't know… phone conversations are recorded all the time, though. If I can just tap into the system…" she said, her eyes squinting in concentration as she typed. "Here we go," Chloe gestured, hitting one final key, starting a playback of Lois' last phone conversation.

"_I think-well, I have a lot to tell you about… You know those visions I'd been having?"_

"_Visions?"_

"_Yeah—um, red sun, Tess, Zod…? Well, I think it's starting to come true. I just got a press release memo that says Tess Mercer is the money behind a new solar tower."_

"_And what do you think she plans to do with it?"_

"_Well, from the visions I had, nothing good. It will turn the sun red, and give Zod and his buddies an energy boost that's a bit stronger than your average RedBull drink."_

"_Surely you don't think the red sun will give the Ka- them powers?"_

"_Yes! And I think—it will take yours away… In my dream—you were dead." _

"_Lois, everything will be fine. Trust me." _

"_I do trust you—Oh, and I have something of yours. I think it started this whole mess in the first place and I don't think Clark should keep it. It's a large gold ring—and I think it's what brought on my acid trip to the future."_

"_I—lent the ring to Clark. But from what you're telling me, maybe I could use it to stop Zod—find out what his intentions really are. Meet me on the roof of the Planet in an hour?"_

Chloe glanced at Clark, seeing the distress on his face.

"All because I lied to her," he said, regret clear in his voice. "I told her I would tell the Blur everything she said… but when he called, pretending to be me—"

"Clark, you were trying to protect her. Give yourself credit for trying to be as honest as you could with Lois. It's not your fault that Zod decided to use her trust against her."

"I have to stop Zod, Chloe. Maybe… maybe if I can stop him here, it will somehow bring Lois back from the future."

Clark suddenly blurred out of Watchtower, leaving Chloe to wonder what he thought he could do to stop Zod if they didn't find the Book of Rao before he did.

~\S/~

Clark blurred back to his favorite perch overlooking the city. The RAO Tower was nearly halfway built. But if completing it could be delayed, it would buy him more time to find the Book of Rao and figure out how to defeat Zod.

He felt partly betrayed by Lois, even if it wasn't entirely her fault. Somehow, he had expected that she would be able to recognize him, even through all of his subterfuges. Or at least know when she wasn't speaking to the Blur. But deep down, Clark knew it was all his own fault. His dishonesty with Lois was what led her to Zod and to the ring. She had evidently put it on… What if she was in danger and was in a time or place where he didn't exist? He breathed in deep to steady himself. He couldn't answer those questions, but he could stop the frightful future she had told him about from taking place. He could put an end to Zod's plans, and maybe bring Lois back by destroying the one thing that had brought on the darkness of an apocalyptic future in the first place.

He could burn the RAO Tower to the ground.

Clark rarely lost his temper, always keeping himself in check, knowing that his powers, if they got out of hand, could be more than dangerous.

But the RAO Tower symbolized something that was antithesis to everything he had been taught to believe in. Zod would rule over the earth, enslave the people of this planet, and symbolically destroy everything that was ever good about being a Kryptonian. That tower represented an oppressed future and a shattered planet… the red sun it would generate would hurt Clark as well, and though that wasn't the main reason he wanted to see it gone, he knew it was a valid one. Perhaps a little bit of pride snuck in Clark's heart, as he believed it was his job to be the protector of earth and to prevent Zod from taking it over.

Wasn't that the destiny Jor-El had laid out for him? To protect the earth?

But maybe it was something entirely different that consumed him in that moment.

Maybe it was a lost pair of brown eyes that he missed smiling at him every day with a rare and special trust.

Or the emptiness in his heart, fearing that he'd never see Lois again, or worse, see her and not be able to explain to her all the things that he wanted to tell her.

Maybe it was this pain, this loss that made him set ablaze the RAO Tower… and not some hero's quest at all.

~\S/~

Martha looked out across the Washington Mall from her office. It was a beautiful sunset in the nation's capital, yet she couldn't help longing for the quiet sunset evenings of Kansas. It was after five, and she still had a reception to attend where she hoped to sway some of her colleagues away from the talk she was beginning to hear circulate that 'vigilantes' weren't good for America.

It seemed that a mother's work to protect her children was never done.

She knew how hard Clark was working to help his people find a place in the world, but she also worried if he would make the right choices. She believed to her soul that Jonathan and herself had done all they could to instill a strong moral compass in Clark, but would that compass be compromised when faced with choosing between his own people and those of Earth?

She took a deep breath, knowing that she could never alarm Clark with her deepest fears. She loved him dearly, and she did trust him.

But with the stirring of concern over vigilantes, Martha had done some digging and came across a group more secretive than the CIA that could do damage to her son's cause, or worse, go after him personally. Checkmate. Through some favors with colleagues, she had learned that Checkmate had been organized to stop an apparent alien invasion. And their main intent had been to find something called the Book of Rao.

Martha checked the locked drawer in her office, where she kept hidden the Book of Rao ever since she had taken it from Tess Mercer.

She had learned a thing or two in Washington, and one important lesson was that she would have to play a game of her own in order to help Clark. That's when she had come up with the Red Queen, her way of countering the darker forces at work around them. But in her investigation, she had also learned a far more frightening truth-She had learned the Book of Rao had the power to take all Kandorians to another plane of existence, meaning if it was used, her son would disappear from Earth as well. She had kept the Book hidden for selfish reasons perhaps, but she knew if the Kandorians ever did become a threat, she would have to give it to Clark and trust that he would make the right choice.

She just hoped to delay that day as long as possible… losing Jonathan had nearly broken her. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Clark, too.

Her phone buzzed and she picked up the line. "Yes?"

"There's a Chloe Sullivan on line one. She's demanding to speak to you. Something about your son, Clark."

"Put her through," Martha said calmly, though her heart was starting to race with fear.

"Chloe? What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"Hi, Mrs. Kent," Chloe began nervously, having never called Martha at the office before. "I, uh, just called because I'm worried about Clark. He's been all over the place since Lois disappeared…and um, he may have stirred up a hornet's nest with the RAO Corporation. The tower was destroyed last night," Chloe said, hoping Martha could read between the lines. She didn't trust that Mrs. Kent's lines weren't monitored by the government.

Martha sighed. She knew Chloe wouldn't call her at the office unless it was an emergency. She glanced down at the drawer that held the Book of RAO, thinking.

"Tell Clark I'll be on the first plane home," Martha said decisively. "And Chloe? Everything will be all right," she reassured Clark's friend, trying to believe it for herself as well.

"Thanks Mrs. Kent. I hope you're right."

~\S/~

Martha always felt a tugging of bittersweet sadness when she drove to the farm. She had so many happy memories here with Jonathan, and raising Clark. How she longed for her husband's guidance now. She hadn't realized how much she had relied on him nor how much she had learned from him, until he was gone. He had always been a quiet tower of strength, calm and strong as a river, silently guiding and providing in the background.

She often thought of Jonathan when making decisions as a senator; how he would view this issue, how he would speak to the other side. He was her guide, and she hoped that he would be proud of things she had accomplished in Washington, even the small ones.

She glanced at the box in her passenger seat, the dilemma she had been wrestling with since last night still on her mind. _Should_ she give the Book of Rao to Clark? Could she let her son go, if the Book took him away? But could she be selfish and withhold it from him, knowing it could be the answer to helping a race who had found themselves stranded on Earth, unable to fit in, and festering a dangerous longing to have the same powers her Kryptonian son enjoyed?

Could she risk a whole planet simply because she couldn't bear the thought of losing her son?

"Jonathan?" she said aloud in the quiet car, the wheat fields looking golden in the early morning sunlight as she drove by. "Jonathan… what do I do?" she whispered, a catch in her throat. She would do this often when driving out to the farm, have conversations with her late husband. She would share the burdens and joys of her heart as they had done so often in their marriage. She even looked forward to these moments, believing she still had some sort of connection to him, especially out here in the fields of Kansas that he had loved so much. Even when she was in distress, like now, knowing she could unburden her heart in this way, to the only man she had ever loved, brought her a little comfort.

"We both loved—love our son… he isn't perfect, but we both know he has a greater destiny… What if this is a key to moving that destiny forward and I withhold it from him?" Then, more to herself than to any lingering spirit of a man who might be listening, she whispered, "But… what if I lose him, too?"

She shook her head in frustration, hitting the steering wheel. " It was so easy, knowing what was right when you were here Jonathan," she said, tears starting to flow freely. "I always could look to you as a steady guide…and now that guidance, all those little lessons you taught him along the way, has to lead our son. He can be a beacon for what is good and right in this world, I know it. But what he's up against-" she wiped the tears away from under her eyes, trying to focus on the road. "There is so much hate in Washington. They call the Blur a vigilante, a criminal. They don't understand what a gift he is to all of us. And I just want to fight for him, Jonathan. But I don't know how… I don't know how to protect him and help him at the same time. I don't know-_how_…"

She had managed to pull her car into the farm driveway. She turned off the engine, and had a good cry in the front seat. Here, she could let it all go. In Washington, she was Senator Kent, a cool-headed Kansan who stood up for Middle America. But here, on this farm, she was a mother, and used to be a wife. She was a woman who had worked with her hands, helped build this farm into the home it was today… She cried for those memories as well, knowing that things could never be the same again, fearing they might change even more.

But she had to pull herself together. She had to be strong for Clark, be someone for him to lean on if he needed it.

After a while, she calmed down, and looking out at the goldenrod farmhouse set against a cerulean blue sky, she knew that somehow everything would be okay. Because here, she felt Jonathan's strong and steady presence. He was there in the picket fences, and in the evidence of chores that he had taught Clark to do long ago. His voice still resonated across the fields, in the barn, every place that Jonathan had touched, spoke of his kindness, generosity, and salt of the earth spirit that was simple enough to be a farmer and noble enough to touch all those that knew him. He was still there in their hearts, guiding them, looking out for them, as sure as the ebb and flow of life on the farm existed.

And as her tears dried, Martha began to feel peace in her heart. She could trust Clark with the Book of Rao. If there was a way for him to use it and stay behind, he would.

Clark would do all he could to do what was right and best for everyone.

He was his father's son, after all.

~\S/~

The skies were dark grey… a dark storm was starting to circle Metropolis, and Clark couldn't help but feel that a reckoning was upon him. All the Kandorians now had powers, and were menacing people all across the planet. A war had begun, and he knew the only way to stop it was to use the Book of Rao.

The fear he had seen in his mother's eyes as she had given him the Book still haunted him. She knew it would take him away from her forever… and as much as it pained him, part of him wanted to leave… Even with the tower destroyed, there was still no sign of Lois. She had been gone for four whole weeks… and he feared that she was lost to him forever.

What destiny here on earth could he have without her love to support him?

Maybe leading the Kandorians to another planet was the greater destiny, one where he would be forced to only be a Kyrptonian—one where he would forget the pain and joys of love. Perhaps this was what Jor-El had trained him to do.

Clark took the gold disk from his jacket, to lay it on the console as Tess had told him he should do to activate the Book of Rao. He had been surprised by her confession about the console, by her helping him, but glad to see that there was good in her after all.

Just as he moved to lay it into the console, Zod flew in, landing heavily next to him, echoing the ominous thunder in the skies above them.

"Zod," Clark whispered derisively, then stepped forward. "You can't stop me, Zod, we're leaving this planet.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither are they," Zod said with a slight curling of his lips, indicating to the air just above them.

Clark watched as the Kandorians flew around them, menacing in the skies. He felt his heart sink… this was all so wrong. He knew his people were fundamentally good, yet led by Zod, they were quickly turning into tyrants. They had left the mark of Zod on worldwide monuments important to the people of Earth, declaring a war that Clark knew the humans couldn't win.

"Having others finish a fight that you started only proves what a coward you are," Clark said, unthreatened by the powerful throng surrounding them, knowing he could end this.

Zod seemed not intimidated by Clark's bravado. He circled Clark, much like a predator, about to go in for the kill. "My soldiers know I've never wavered in the face of death. All you've ever done is hide in the shadow," he said, disdain in his voice.

"You've hidden, too—the truth from them." Clark looked around at the Kandorians around him and lifted up the Book of Rao. "The Book of Rao will not destroy us," he said in a clear, strong voice. "It will lead us to a better place, another planet where we can live in peace, where we can build a new home. Krypton will live again."

Zod shook his head, determined not to let Clark win this argument. "This is just another one of his deceits. We all know where his allegiance lies."

"I care for all life, Zod, unlike you."

"You only care about the humans… I know you've been looking for Lois," Zod said with a knowing sneer.

Clark turned angry blue eyes on Zod, "What do you know about Lois?"

Zod smiled, a sinister twitching of his lips as he shook his head, "Just that she's gone—forever."

"You lie!" Clark cried as anger fired through him. He lunged towards Zod, pushing him against a wall, his arm braced across his enemy's chest.

Calmly, Zod answered him, "The only liar among us is you, Kal-El. You never wanted to help us. All you have done is deceive those who should be your people!"

Clark tried to rein in his anger. Whatever Zod knew about Lois, it wouldn't help her for him to lose his cool now. After all, he still believed that she could return—even if he was no longer here to meet her. She could simply be lost in another time, and maybe, when this madness was over, she would come back.

"Or worse, you deceived the woman you professed to love, didn't you Clark?" Zod said, still held under Clark's arm, his voice laced with sarcasm. "All you did was lie to her."

Clark shoved harder into Zod, and then let go, as if he wasn't worth the effort. "What about your deceptions? If they knew the truth they'd never follow you," Clark said forcefully.

Zod straightened up, smoothing his jacket, pride in his every movement. "My men willingly follow me."

Clark turned to him, and then glanced at the Kandorians who had landed on the roof. He knew he had to show the truth about Zod to these people, but he couldn't prove anything to them by pushing Zod to tell him about Lois. But Zod had committed other sins, more important to the Kandorians, that Clark could bring into the open.

Clark stepped towards Zod again, his steely eyes meeting Zod head on. "What about Faora? All she wanted was to leave you."

"That is a lie!" Zod cried out, seeing the Kandorians inch closer with interest at this new development.

"But she, she paid for it with her life," Clark said doggedly, determined that the Kandorians should know the whole truth.

"Faora never should have trusted you-" Zod began.

Clark interrupted, seeing Zod beginning to weaken in the eyes of the Kandorians. "But she wasn't the only one who paid the price, was she?"

Clark suddenly felt Zod take him and slam him against the wall, much as he had done to Zod a moment ago. Zod leaned in, his voice shaking with rage. "Faora was a traitor. Do you think I wanted to kill my own child?" he said in a low, shaking voice.

Zod suddenly looked over his shoulder, seeing the Kandorians had heard what he said. He let go of Clark and stepped up to Vala, Faora's sister, to try to defend himself. "Your sister was a traitor. She would have betrayed us all."

But this did not win the Kandorians over to Zod's side. One by one, as they realized the betrayals of their leader, they began to rip off their armbands that symbolized their allegiance to the general.

A tall Kandorian began to step towards Zod, anger in his eyes, but Vala laid a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, we'll deal with him once we're on our own soil." She stepped forward, and spoke to Clark. "Kal-El, take us home."

Clark glanced at Zod once more, but he seemed momentarily subdued. Clark wasn't sure what Zod had in mind now, but he wasn't about to pass up the chance to use the Book of Rao. It was time to leave, to lead the Kandorians to a new planet, where he could start over—and perhaps learn not to make so many mistakes.

Clark placed the Book of Rao on the console, a golden light radiating into the sky from its crystals. Just as a rain began to fall, the Kandorians began to ascend, one by one, like dark angels heading up to heaven.

Clark looked around him at the dark skies of Metropolis, the rain beginning to beat down heavier, reminding him of how painful it was to be here on earth, to be human, with all of his mistakes to shame him.

He thought of his father… how it had been Clark's fault that he had died.

He thought of how difficult life had been without him, and yet he said a silent 'thank you' for all the lessons his father had taught him. He knew Jor-El's training had taught him to be a hero, but he thought his father's lessons had taught him to be a leader.

His heart wrenched, looking up at the golden glow that would take him away, as his thoughts drifted at last to Lois. He had messed everything up with her, and now she was gone, possibly forever. He loved her, but he didn't know if he could ever be what she needed…if she even ever returned.

Clark looked up into the sky, ready for the light to take him away, when he realized nothing was happening. He glanced around him, seeing that Zod was still here as well. Then Clark noticed a strange dagger that Zod had pulled from his jacket and unsheathed, and Clark felt a thrill of anger in his chest at the sight.

"Blue Kryptonite," Clark said through clenched teeth.

Zod nodded, lifting the dagger menacingly, "I told you. I'm not going anywhere."

Clark couldn't believe Zod's arrogance and temerity. He looked accusingly at him, the rain pouring down in buckets around them. "You knew blue Kryptonite would prevent you from ascending like the others."

Zod stepped forward, his eyes ablaze with hate and delusion. "'Better to rule in hell, then to serve in Heaven.'"

Zod swiped the dagger at Clark's chest, slashing the fabric of his shirt and slicing a wound that felt like cold fire.

"Since you seem to love the humans so much, let's see you fight like one!" Zod cried loudly as the storm picked up, bracing his legs in a fighter's stance.

As Clark fought Zod in the rain, he began to realize what he was really fighting for. With every blow across Zod's face, and every nick from the blue Kryptonite dagger, Clark realized that he was fighting for _this_ planet—not the right to rule on some other distant one. He knew he had to save the earth from Zod's tyranny; with every punch, flashes of the farm, of his parents, of Lois, his friends came before him—and he knew that even if he died, it would be worth it to save those he loved from Zod.

Zod at last trapped him, caught in the corner of the rooftop. Zod leaned over Clark, his face a wicked shadow of the man he once was, of the man that was once Jor-El's friend.

Clark felt the hate radiate from Zod, the cool rain of the earth unable to wipe it away, like a permanent stench of evil. Zod pushed Clark to the edge of the precipice, loathing coating his words, "Unlike you I will lead from the throne, not from the shadows. Every human including the woman you love, will kneel before Zod!"

Those last words stirred enough anger in Clark to give him the energy he needed to lunge forward one last time, to try and stop the tyrant who believed he was winning."You already destroyed my first home, I won't let you take this one!"

Suddenly, Clark felt a pain as sharp as ice and as burning as fire rip through him. His shocked eyes met Zod's victorious ones for a moment that seemed suspended in eternity. Clark looked down, the blazing blue Kryptonite dagger sheathed into his chest.

Zod glanced up, the golden light of the Book of Rao beginning to pull him away from the earth, the blue Kryptonite no longer able to protect him from ascending. As Zod was dragged into the light, Clark stumbled backwards, falling over the edge of the building.

Clark saw, even as he free fell to the earth, Zod disappear with the rest of the Kandorians.

The golden light of the Book of Rao disappeared into the rainy night sky, leaving only darkness behind.

The rain and wind buffered and beat him down at once. The earth's elements were at once his friends and his enemies.

Clark, his arms spread open as he fell, almost felt suspended in the air… as if he flew to the ground rather than fell…

But the rain poured harder, pushing him faster in his plummet to the earth.

Pain cut through him.

He feared that pain and death were all that was left.

But then, a moment of grace.

As he descended to his death, he closed his eyes and thought of life.

His father's wisdom, offering him guidance, even when Clark didn't want to listen.

His mother's arms around him, telling him everything would be all right.

And Lois.

Even through the pain, her smile reached him and comforted him.

This was the price then, his sacrifice to save the ones he loved.

At last, cold, hard, and final, he landed on the street below.

His consciousness faded away, into the pain, into oblivion…

All he could feel was the dagger… and death, just inches away.

Rain.

Cold.

Death…

His mind reached one last time out for comfort, even as he felt life ebb away.

What could hold him to this earth? What tether was there that could bring him back if he had the strength to wrench that dagger from his chest?

But she was gone…

_If only I could see her face, once more…_


	7. Chapter 7

As Lois watched Clark blur away in the early morning sun, relief filled her.

He was going to be all right.

Hope was alive again.

She felt shaky from the rush down the stairs of the Planet and fearing she had nearly lost Clark, so she leaned against the cool brick wall of a nearby building to steady herself as it all suddenly became too much.

The flight with Superman, saving Clark, and realizing they were both one and the same as the Blur. And somehow, she fit into his remarkable destiny. It was overwhelming.

But here, in the cool morning sun, the city still cold from the rain, she couldn't help but feel a little bit lost. How was she to reconcile what she knew with the man Clark was today? How would she talk to him and know what to say without forcing him to reveal the truth?

How could she be the woman that he so obviously loved in that distant future?

Her emotions bubbled over as tears began to fall, her bedraggled hair plastered to her face. She indulged in tears for only a moment, though. She needed to pull herself together. She could do this, she thought, taking a deep breath. Clark needed her, he had said so.

She loved him, but she was only beginning to really understand him. She realized she knew facets of him between her encounters with the Blur and Superman, but seeing that prism in the full light of day all together, was quite dazzling.

Her reflex was to bolt, to leave town, give them both some space. But she wondered how long she had already been gone thanks to the ring. Would it be crueler to Clark to leave without letting him know she was at least okay?

She took another deep breath as her tears dried, closing her eyes as she calmed. Maybe she could buy herself a few hours at least. Just a little time to find out how long she had been gone, and how she would face Clark without falling into a puddle of mush.

She decided she would head to Smallville. It was a good two-hour drive, if she took the back roads. And it would give her time to think, and adjust.

She found her jeep a short time later in the Planet parking deck. She was glad she had opted for keyless entry when she bought the car, as she had no idea where her real keys were, so she could start the car with just a code. She was always moving or chasing a story, making keys more of an annoyance than a convenience.

As she shifted into drive and out of the lot, doing a normal thing such as driving started to steady her. Lois blasted some Whitesnake as she headed out of the city, the windows down, taking in the cool morning air. She put her hand out the window, riding the wave of air as she drove, and she couldn't help but think of the magical flight she had had in Superman's arms-in _Clark's_ arms, she clarified. She shook her head with a rueful laugh, still having a hard time believing the truth about her favorite farm boy.

As the golden wheat fields of Kansas began to replace the city skyline, Lois started feeling anxious again. She was scared of making a mistake, of confessing all to Clark right off the bat and potentially ruining their future. Superman had been clear that it was her patience with Clark coming around to tell the truth about himself that had been key to moving their relationship forward. But in the light of day, Lois couldn't remember a time she had ever been patient.

And that's what scared her now.

Before she was ready, she was entering Smallville. The Talon loomed ahead, and though she suspected Chloe would be there, she couldn't seem to stop the jeep there. And the Kent farm was a definite no, at least until she got her head together.

She drove around for another half hour, until she found herself on the other edge of Smallville. She suddenly remembered a place from long ago that was just beyond this end of town. She used to tease Clark about his seemingly nerdy interest in the Kawatche cave drawings out here, but now, in light of what she knew about him, she wondered if there hadn't been something else going on there.

Her curiosity stirred, and having found an excuse to avoid the inevitable, Lois headed for the caves. If nothing else, she knew it was a special place to Clark, and maybe she could do some thinking there and decide how she would handle seeing him again.

The grasses near the caves were overgrown, indicating that no one had been out here in quite a while. Lois turned off her jeep and headed inside. She was surprised by how cool it was in the caves, as the sun was already reaching quite warm temperatures outside. She remembered to bring her flashlight, and hoped not to run into any wild animals or worse, other snoopers that may be lurking.

"Hello?" she called tentatively, her voice echoing loudly through the cave as she stepped inside. It was easier to just face one's fears than skulk around; if anyone was there, she'd prefer to find out sooner rather than later.

But she heard nothing but the sound of her own footsteps and the spludge of water dripping somewhere. She flashed the light around the cave, intrigued by the drawings there. One drawing showed a star, falling from the sky, and another of a two-headed figure. Most of the pictures didn't make much sense to her, but she could tell they were describing a story, and she somehow knew, this was Clark's story.

Her fingers traced the pictures of the cave, as she silently asked the cave her questions.

_Does he really need me? How did I never see the truth about Clark? How do we go forward from here?_

"I don't know what to do, Smallville," she whispered at last, maybe trying to reach that other, future Clark for some advice. "I don't want to ruin everything."

She wandered around the inside of the cave, ending up at some symbols that were laid out in a circle. Three separate stones seemed embedded in the wall itself, and her fingers traced over them. They suddenly came to life, lighting up blue, red, and yellow in turn. She had no time to be afraid, because before she could move, a flash of light appeared and she was suddenly transported somewhere else.

This light was different than the ring's light when she had put it on and went to the future. This was warmer, more enveloping, and more powerful.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a large, frozen cave. Crystals of ice or glass surrounded her, mesmerizing her with their beauty. She looked around in awe, wondering if this was yet another secret Clark had kept hidden.

"Hello?" she whispered aloud, her voice echoing and tremulous. She didn't expect anyone to actually answer, but the cave around her seemed alive somehow, even if it was still and freezing cold; it seemed full of energy, if devoid of life.

"Welcome, Lois Lane," came a deep voice from above her suddenly, or around her… she couldn't detect from where, but it made her jump.

She spun around, a little freaked out as she called, "Who are you? How do you know my name?" She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm.

"I am Jor-El, father of Kal-El… the one you will call Superman."

She felt her mouth go dry—this was Clark's real father? If this was true, then at least she didn't think she had anything to fear. That made her feel a little better, and when next she spoke, her voice was a little stronger. "How—why am I here?"

"You activated the portal. But I brought you here, Lois Lane."

"Why?" she asked, breathless and still in shock. She couldn't believe she was having a conversation with Clark's real alien father, and he was somehow not really here. Or he was… in the crystals perhaps?

"I have been preparing Kal-El for his destiny… and I have come to accept that you are a part of that destiny as well, Lois Lane."

"I am?" she asked weakly, thinking again of those wonderful moments flying with Superman, and how all of this just seemed bigger than what she was ready for.

"But you are frightened of what lies ahead. You don't know how to speak to Kal-El… And as much as I have fought his feelings for you, I have seen they are real. But what I don't know is what you feel for him."

Clark's father sounded skeptical of her feelings and Lois felt a little affronted. "Rest assured, Mr.—El , I love your son. I knew for a long time, but the timing was never right… and now-"

"Are you willing to sacrifice, to learn what it is like to accept Kal-El's burden?"

She wasn't sure what he was talking about, but she knew she would face anything to be with Clark. "I'll do whatever it takes for Clark. I love him," she said fiercely, determined not to look weak.

"You will lend him strength as my wife Lara did for me on Krypton. I can no longer deny that Clark needs you."

Lois glossed over the whole question about where was Krypton, and in typical style, went instead to the heart of the matter. "So is this why you brought me here? To, um, welcome me to the family?" she asked with a shrug. "Cause it's getting pretty cold in here… I could have done with just a phone call or something," she tried for levity, but the disembodied voice around her didn't seem to have a sense of humor.

"Lois Lane, you have seen the future. You know what Kal-El's destiny is and you know that you cannot tell him what you know until he reveals his secrets to you himself. So, I will grant you a power to help guide you, and help you understand the responsibilities my son carries."

"A power?" she whispered, a little floored by the very idea of having a super-power. But the crystal cold cave and the voice that seemed part of it was real, and for Clark's sake she knew she had to try to understand. This wasn't a game, she knew. It was a sort of test, a trial. And she was determined not to fail, no matter how Jor-El would test her. "Like Cl—I mean, Kal-El's powers?" she asked, thinking how little she knew about who he really was, what he actually could do-superspeed… and some sort of power with fire, she thought, but she was vague on the details. She felt nervous at the prospect of wielding powers like those. She hoped Clark's ice castle father knew what he was doing.

Jor-El ignored her questions. She felt the palace grow brighter once more as she heard Jor-El's final words. "At the break of dawn tomorrow, you will discover your power, yours until sunset. Use it well. Good luck, Lois Lane."

In another flash of light, she was back in the cave. Lois turned to face the wall that had lit up before and she laid her hand on it, trying to make sense of what had just happened. But no lights flashed around her this time, just the cool wall of the cave and the sound of water dripping somewhere in its shadows.

Her flashlight was lying on the ground, still on. She reached for it and then headed to the sliver of sunlight that was on the other side of the cave. She felt a shiver as she left. And she wasn't sure if it was from her visit to that cold winter palace or her talk with Jor-El, but something had left her feeling spooked.

She made her way to her jeep, deep in thought. Jor-El was going to grant her a power tomorrow to help her understand Clark.

She felt even more nervous than when she had driven out here.

Maybe she should have gone to see Clark first after all.

~\S/~

Lois drove back to the Talon, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was only four in the afternoon, but between her trips through time and to the caves, she was worn out. She was relieved when she didn't see Chloe's car in the parking lot, as she was even less ready to face her little cousin now, even though she could do with a friend.

But how do you talk to anyone about secret ice castles and superpowers?

No wonder Clark seemed so alone at times. He had been carrying this huge secret for so long, obviously terrified to tell anyone… yet Lois knew Chloe knew. She wondered how that had happened. She was almost certain he hadn't told her of his own volition, though, which made her sigh sadly. She hoped that whatever power Jor-El was going to give her, it would help her face her fears.

She hoped it would give her the strength to tell Clark that she loved him, no matter what, and that soon, there would be no more secrets between them.

~\S/~

Lois woke up early the next morning. She rolled over, seeing it was just after five. She had slept nearly twelve hours. It seemed her adventures were taking their toll. She groaned as she flopped the covers back over herself.

Then suddenly, nervous excitement filled her. The sun was coming up—and supposedly she had a super-power. She sat up quickly in bed, feeling a little dizzy at the sudden movement.

She slipped on her bunny slippers and shuffled into the kitchen and turned on a light. She sure didn't feel any different… As she started the coffee pot, she noticed movement over on the sofa. Chloe was lying there, sleeping.

Lois looked carefully at her cousin, noticing it seemed like she had been crying.

Lois continued to make her coffee, wondering if Chloe was upset about Clark. Had she known about Clark's apparent fight with Zod? She wished she could tell her cousin everything was okay…  
>Lois curled her legs under as she sat down on the plush chair, momentarily distracted from worrying about what power Jor-El had given her as she watched her cousin sleep.<p>

Chloe slowly opened her eyes, meeting Lois' gaze.

"Lois?" she said sleepily. Chloe scooted up to a sitting position and Lois moved to sit next to her, setting down her coffee so she could give her cousin a hug. "Where have you been?"

"Here and there," Lois said quietly, meaning to sound light, but failing seeing her cousin's distressed look.

"I'm glad you're back," Chloe said. _I know you can't tell me where you were, any more than I can explain how I know you were in the future… But I don't care. I am just glad you're here. You may be all I have left._

"Chloe, what's the matter?" Lois asked with concern, brushing Chloe's hair out of her eyes.

Chloe pulled away slightly, shaking her head and wiped her eyes, flashing Lois a smile. "N—nothing. Is there any more brew from where that came from?"

Lois wasn't convinced Chloe was all right, but made her way to the kitchen. "Yeah, just hold on… so why didn't you wake me up when you got in? You didn't have to sleep on the sofa, you know."

"I was just relieved to see you were here. And you seemed exhausted… But I'm fine, Lois, really." _I've just lost my best friend and the man I think I'm falling in love with, but I'll make it through… I have to._

Lois looked at her cousin in astonished puzzlement. She could have sworn she heard Chloe say something about losing a friend and the man she was falling in love with-could Chloe still harbor feelings for Clark?

"What is it, Lois? You look like you've seen a ghost or something," Chloe said nervously.

Lois plastered her own smile on her face. "No, I was just thinking… um, have you seen Clark?" she asked, watching carefully for Chloe's reaction.

"Clark?" Chloe said weakly, her smile fading as sadness filled her eyes. _How am I going to explain that Clark is gone forever?_ "Um, n—no. Not recently, why?"

"Just wondering," Lois said, certain now that she was actually hearing what Chloe was thinking. Wait. _Hearing?_ Realization suddenly hit her. This was it, Jor-El's gift-the ability to hear people's thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, muttering, "Great."

"What?"

"Um, nothing. Just spilled some coffee," Lois said, mulling over the idea of this power. Why couldn't Jor-El have picked something fun like superspeed or—flying! But this-?

Lois came back over to the sofa and handed Chloe a steaming mug of coffee.

"Thanks," Chloe said appreciatively, taking a sip. _I'm going to start crying like a baby any moment now and have no way to explain why. When did we stop being honest with each other, Lo? We used to tell each other all of our secrets._

"I know," Lois said softly.

"Huh?"

Lois turned and smiled at her cousin, "I know-what will cheer you up—"

"I'm fine, Lois… just a little tired is all." _Tired, and terrified. With Clark gone and Ollie missing—_

"Ollie?" Lois whispered aloud, as she began to understand.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing… It's just early. I don't think either of us are functioning on all four cylinders yet… I'm going to hop in the shower and then we can ride in to Metropolis together, okay?" _Are Chloe and Ollie together?_

Chloe nodded, though she looked anxious to Lois. _I need to get to Watchtower, ASAP. If there is any sign of Oliver, I'll find him._

Lois looked askance at Chloe, wanting desperately to ask her about what happened to Oliver, but she held her tongue. And an apparent budding romance between the two? It made Lois smile, really. She had been so worried about Ollie losing himself, and if Chloe was able to pull him back from that abyss, so much the better. She wished her cousin would confide in her though… maybe she was scared what Lois would think. But Lois couldn't be happier.

Lois shook her head, and focused on getting ready for a shower. Regardless, if Chloe was worried about Oliver being missing, that had to be taken care of first. Maybe Clark would know something about Oliver…

Clark.

She was going to see him and hear his thoughts. It made her stomach flip—with fear. Did _Clark_ himself have this power? She certainly hoped not... there had been times where it seemed like he could read her mind. But there were far many more that ruled that possibility out. No, Lois was pretty sure this was her very own little gift from Clark's dear old ice daddy.

Though she couldn't see how this little gift could help matters. Surely this would only make things more complicated!

Lois took a deep breath. She wanted to see Clark, desperately. And he was likely the only one who could help Oliver, wherever he was.

But what was she going to say to him?

She shook her head ruefully. Flying would have been so much easier.

~\S/~

The mumbled sounds of people's thoughts assaulted Lois as soon as she stepped off the elevator at the Planet. She was privy to every random thought whizzing around her, from diatribes to donuts; it was a constant hum of noise in her brain. She made her way over to her desk, wondering how she would make it through the day. She didn't think Advil would be a strong enough cure for a superpower, but there had to be a way to shut off the track running like a thousand TVs through her mind. Jor-El must have been nuts to think this would help her understand Clark better. Speaking of, where was he?

He wasn't at his desk, and for the first time since she came back from her recent trek to the future, she wondered if she had overestimated his abilities. _Was_ he really all right? What if he had gone back to face Zod again? What if he hadn't been out of danger?

"Some gift if I can't even save-" but she didn't finish her mumbling as someone interrupted her.

"Lois," Clark said, in soft, low tones behind her. She took just the barest of moments to breathe in a sigh of relief, and suddenly her thoughts focused on him, and the extraneous noise around her began to fade away. "Are you okay?" Clark asked, laying a gentle hand on her back. She had to restrain herself from melting into his touch, but instead turned to him and gave him a warm smile.

"I'm fine, Smallville."

"I—I've missed you around here," he hesitated, his eyes searching hers. "I mean-you've been gone almost a month." _I couldn't sleep, Lois. I couldn't do anything! Knowing you were out there somewhere in the future… and it was all my fault for leaving that ring around…_ "Are you sure everything is okay? You can tell me—" he began, but instead his expression fell into a weak smile. _If there weren't so many secrets between us Lois-It's unfair of me to ask you to trust me when I can't even tell you the truth…_

Lois reached out and gently squeezed his arm in comfort, trying to convey that she understood. He looked down at her touch, slightly surprised. "Don't worry about me, Smallville. I'm okay, really," she said, as her eyes met his. She saw so much uncertainty in his eyes and self-doubt, merely a shadow of the self-assured Clark she had met in the future. But she knew he was in there somewhere. He just needed a little encouragement.

_But are you okay? Did you go back to that horrible future, Lois? Did Zod hurt you? He's gone now… all the Kandorians are gone._

"So what happened? I mean, where did you go?" he asked cautiously. _Does she remember? And if she does, am I forcing her to lie to me? Just like I lie to her everyday…_

She couldn't believe the major guilt-complex cycling through Clark's thoughts. He really did carry the weight of the world on his shoulders sometimes.

"I was here and there," she said, but rushed on quickly. She really didn't want to stack the lies any higher than they already were. And though she had managed to explain her blurry visions of an apocalyptic future to him, telling him he would become a tight-wearing superhero just wasn't going to—well, fly, at the moment. She decided it was best to focus on the other matter at hand, and somehow, she'd tell him how she felt about him later. "But Clark, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about," she began. "Ollie is missing."

"Oliver? What do you mean he's missing, Lois? Oliver doesn't check in with anyone," Clark said reassuringly. _And it's not like he'd fill me in on any of his plans anyway._

"Well—Chloe seemed worried about him this morning—" she began, but hesitated, uncertain how she'd explain how she knew Chloe was worried.

"Chloe?" _Surely she has an eye in the sky looking after Oliver. How do I reassure Lois without telling her how things really work around here?_

"Yeah," Lois said, looking intently at him. _'Eye in the sky'? What the hell does that mean?_

"Well, look, Lois, we all know how Oliver goes off on his own to do whatever. Just give it another day, I'm sure everything is fine," he said, reaching to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly. _But if Oliver really is missing, then I need to look into it._

She met his eyes and did feel comforted, knowing he'd do all he could if Oliver was in danger, so she gave him a smile of her own. His hand lingered longer than just an encouraging touch would on her shoulder and she felt his piercing blue gaze on her. _Have I messed up everything, Lois? You were gone for so long… I don't know what will become of us if we can't be honest, but I know I can't live my life without you in it. I can't work at the Planet without seeing you every day. But these secrets… they're strangling me._

She looked away from him and pretended to organize some files. His thoughts cut her to her heart and she was tempted right there to spill everything that she knew. She didn't know how long she could keep this up, letting him beat himself up like this. She always thought Clark was stoic and strong, but she didn't realize how hard on himself he could be. She had to lighten his mood, give him some hope.

Lois turned back to him, giving him a beaming smile. "I was thinking… about that date? I mean, do you still want to?"

"The date?" he sighed. _I didn't think we'd get a second chance…. You were gone for so long, Lois. I thought you were gone forever._"Yeah, I was afraid you… " Clark suddenly looked to his right and tilted his head as Lois watched him carefully. _There's a fire in an apartment building… I could be there in just a few seconds. But Lois—_ He looked back at her, his eyes reassuring. "Sure. Is Alessandro's still a good choice?"

"Sure, Smallville. Tonight then?" she said, resisting the urge to shoo him away to go take care of that fire.

"Absolutely." _I've missed you, Lois. I'd do anything for you._

She purposely turned away from him so he could make a quick exit, unable to keep the grin off her face. Lois felt a slight breeze behind her, and wondered how she had missed that before.  
>She turned back around when she was sure he had gone.<p>

"I'd do anything for you, too," she murmured, glancing at the newsroom TV screens to see the media praising the Blur who had quickly taken care of the fire, saving hundreds of lives.

Maybe Clark wasn't so far away from the Superman of her future after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Clark didn't come back to the newsroom right away, and Lois hoped it was because he was checking up on what was going on with Oliver. In the meantime, Lois repeatedly tried Oliver's many different phone lines, but failed to reach him, making her concerns grow. She was also certain that if Chloe couldn't tell her the fact that Oliver was missing, it was because something worse had happened to him than just a weekend bender.

She looked around, feeling helpless, wondering what she could do with her temporary power to help locate Oliver. Her eyes darted to the elevator and she smirked as she got an idea. _It would be interesting to hear what Tess has to say about all of this… _If something shady with Oliver _is_ going on, then Lois figured Tess would be the most likely candidate to know something.

Lois headed to Tess' office, preparing for her typical of battle of wills with the redhead. Lois could never tell if Tess just hated her, or simply liked to challenge her. Maybe now she'd find out.

"Lois," Tess said, shuffling through some files. "What a surprise. Haven't seen you here in- weeks," she said coolly, finally deigning after a long moment to look up from her desk. _I thought maybe the Kandorians had done you in… You get yourself into more messes than Oliver, and yet you always manage to float back to the surface. _

"Well, let's just say that I took a much-needed vacation," Lois answered with a tight smile.

Tess gave her a measured look, but decided not to bite. _Vacation my ass… _"So, what brings you here?" _Has your boyfriend in flannel wandered off again? Hoping to get a clue from me as to what he's _really_ up to? Some reporter you are, Lane. Don't even know Clark's the Blur._

Lois tried to hold back her reaction to this glimpse inside Tess, surprised and a little hurt that even she knew Clark's secret. She went to the heart of the matter instead. "Oliver is missing," Lois said succinctly, gratified to see interest register in Tess' sharp green eyes, no matter how briefly.

Tess looked away, half ignoring Lois, as she typed something into the computer and then murmured, "And how is that news?" _He's probably drowning in a bottle of tequila down in Mexico. That boy does love to run when the tough gets going…_

"He's not answering his phone. I went by his apartment, and they haven't seen him in three days. And his jet and cars are all still in Metropolis," Lois catalogued, exaggerating her visit to Ollie's penthouse. It had been only a phone call to his valet, but still.

Tess looked concerned for a moment, but turned back to her computer to hide it. _The only people that could be after Oliver is Checkmate… but Green Arrow isn't on their list anymore… Who else?_

Tess sighed and crossed her arms, looking tired as she leaned back in her chair. "Lois, I'm sure Oliver is just off being a playboy somewhere—had a lost weekend, I don't know. I am not the man's keeper." _Only once, long ago, when I foolish enough to still believe in love did I hope to be more to him…_

Lois' hard glare softened a bit on Tess, hearing her weakness. For a moment, she actually felt sorry for Tess. She understood her a bit more too, could even see how they were a little alike. They were both very tough on the outside, but had vulnerabilities underneath. However, no matter how tough Lois would appear to the world, she could never be as ruthless as she knew Tess could be on occasion. Lois wondered what had happened to her in her life to get that way.

"So, besides that pat answer, which you should know, has already crossed my mind-you really have no clue what could have happened to Oliver?" Lois asked again, pointedly, hoping that Tess' thoughts would reveal more than she was saying.

_Not unless the VRA has started to pick up steam…_

"The VRA?" Lois asked quietly, glancing up quickly to see if Tess had heard her.

Tess peered at Lois, a puzzled frown on her face. _How did our intrepid reporter get wind of the VRA, I wonder? It's barely made its way off of obscure blogs and a handful of Senator's desks._

"Lois, let it drop. Oliver can take care of himself," Tess said pointedly. "Be careful… I might start to think you still have feelings for him," she said with a snide smile. "I'm sure Clark wouldn't be too happy to learn that."

"My personal life is none of your business, Tess. And if you still had a heart in you, you'd be worried about Ollie as well."

_I can't afford to have a heart, Lois. _

Lois turned to go, lest Tess see the pity she felt for her in her eyes.

"Oh Lois?" Tess called, stopping her exit. " Keep in touch next time you decide to go AWOL. The Planet might not be so friendly about handing you your job back a _third _time." _Even if you do rake in the top stories._

Lois covered her smile at Tess' hidden remark. "I'll keep that in mind."

~\S/~

Lois spent some time researching what she could about the VRA, which after some searching on the internet she learned stood for 'Vigilante Registration Act.' She found an online presence that amounted to a fringe minority of people who bought into the notion that vigilantes were dangerous and bad for America. The VRA was designed to bring vigilantes like the Blur out of the shadows, by forcing them to declare their true identities to the world. She felt a shiver of fear up her spine, seeing the Blur's symbol with an anti slash through it on one of the hero hater blogs. Lois shook her head in dismay at what she was reading, especially the distrusting vitriol she read on some sites. She hoped Clark hadn't seen any of this; the VRA was the last thing he needed to worry about.

The distrust of heroes was fomented by some fringe military, who were trying to organize some lawmakers in Washington to write up a formal VRA bill. It was all just ideas at the moment, but Lois wondered what would happen if those ideas got into the right hands. If the government started getting involved in stopping 'vigilantes', Oliver getting mixed up in this could just be the beginning.

She remembered doing a story about some other heroes who had been prosecuted a generation ago. She had uncovered the truth about the JSA, the Justice Society of America, and how those citizen heroes had been imprisoned by the government under false pretenses. She wondered if the VRA wasn't a trumped up version of more of the same, and if Oliver was involved, he might be in more trouble than she had originally thought.

If she could find a connection between the JSA and the VRA, she might be able to figure out who was holding Oliver. Lois dug out her files on the JSA, but she wondered if she could find more answers by going back to the JSA Museum—or even talking to one of them herself, see if there was a connection to how they were all originally arrested. Maybe they would have a clue as to who could be after Oliver now.

~\S/~

"Hello?" Lois walked in the open door, entering the musty JSA museum. It seemed they still hadn't fixed the place up, even though her article had brought some local attention to the old team of heroes.

It was late afternoon, and though she wasn't surprised the place wasn't hopping, she was curious as to why the front door had been left open with no one in sight.

Cautiously she made her way through the main hallway, calling now and then to see if anyone would answer.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of yellow light coming from a doorway down the darkened hall. Lois rushed over, seeing Chloe knocked out on the floor with a golden helmet lying next to her. Lois recognized the helmet from her encounter with one of the members of the JSA a few months ago—it had been worn by the same strange man who had told her all those cryptic things about her future. _"You are the one he will need. He is the one _you _will need… The savior… the sentient power."_

_Clark. He had meant Clark_, she realized, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she made the connection, her spine tingling with the implications.

Then, as if to conjure him from air, she heard a whoosh, and there he was—her sentient power, standing over Chloe.

It was the first time Lois had seen Clark dressed as the Blur up close, his black jacket swooshing around him dramatically as he knelt beside his friend, carefully lifting her into his arms. Lois held her breath, wondering if he would sense she was there. But he seemed too wrapped up in worrying about her cousin to be concerned with who else might be lurking around the museum.

Lois stood outside the room, Clark's back to her. She closed her eyes and concentrated, to see if she could hear his thoughts.

"Chloe," he said in a strained voice. _What were you doing here? You know the Helmet is dangerous. Why didn't you come to me? _ "Chloe? Chloe, are you okay?" he asked gently as she stirred awake.

When she saw who was holding her, she wrapped her arms around him, breathing in a sigh of relief. "The Helmet was right! You're alive!" she cried into his shoulder._ I thought you were gone forever with the Kandorians! Whatever it was that brought you back, I'm just glad you are still here! The world needs you Clark Kent. _I _need you…_

"I'm here, Chloe," he said soothingly, holding his friend close. _I don't know who or what brought me back—but I know I have more to accomplish here—people to protect._

Lois felt like an intruder on the scene, but she knew better than to feel jealous. She understood. Chloe had been there for Clark for years—and who knew how long she has lived with his secret. And even though she may have carried a torch for Clark in the past, Lois knew that Chloe loved Oliver. Clark—well, he seemed to have a special place in many of people's hearts. And Lois couldn't begrudge her cousin that.

"But why did you come here, Chloe? That helmet—" he began.

"I'm—fine, Clark," _What had I seen… What did the Helmet of Nabu show me about Oliver? Everything would be okay—but I have to—_"My head hurts, that's all," Chloe said, her hand moving to her forehead.

"Chloe, what were you doing with the Helmet?" _Whatever your concern is of the future, Chloe, you have to know I'll do all I can to protect you._

"Nothing… I just—had to know some things," she said vaguely, trying to shift out of Clark's arms. _I needed answers—about Oliver… I know what I have to do. The VRA has him. If I can convince them to take me instead-_

Lois wanted to cry out a protest then and there, fearful of what Chloe was getting herself into. But she couldn't make her presence known. She was frozen to the spot, hidden in the dark hallway, separated from both of them by each other's secrets and lies.

"I—I'm fine,"Chloe said, coming unsteadily to her feet with Clark's help. _I need to get back to Watchtower and see if I can talk to someone at Checkmate… Negotiate with them. I have to save Oliver. I can't involve Clark. If Checkmate gets a hold of the Blur-_

_Negotiate with_ Checkmate_? _ Lois thought wildly, recalling that was the same organization Tess had mentioned earlier.

"Let's get you out of here," Clark said, pulling Chloe to him before whooshing away.

Lois stepped into the room after they had left, thinking. She had to somehow stop Chloe from dealing with forces larger than herself, and she knew the only way to do that was to tell Clark what she knew…

With a sigh, Lois squatted down to pick up the strange golden helmet, contemplating what she should do.

"You are the key, Lois Lane," the helmet said, making her jump as it began to glow in her hands. "Yet you do not seek knowledge of the future?"

She carefully set the helmet back in its case as she laughed ruefully, "I think I've had enough glimpses of the future to last me the rest of my life. I just need to take care of the present." She closed the door, her eyes still fastened on the golden helmet that had softened to a duller sheen. She turned to leave, whispering to the helmet, "The future will take care of itself."

At least, she hoped so.

~\S/~

It was almost six o'clock, almost time for her dinner date with Clark. She only had about an hour and a half left of daylight—left to use her power.

Lois paced the ladies room at the Planet, wondering what she could do to stop Chloe from making a huge mistake. Somehow, Lois had to tell Clark what was really going on, without letting him know that she knew the truth about him or that she had learned what she knew thanks to a temporary superpower thanks to his ice fortress dad.

She sighed, leaning against the cool tile wall and glancing at herself in the mirror. _I almost want to go back to the days when I simply worried if I would even get to go on a date with Smallville._

She felt like a nervous wreck, after hearing people's thoughts all day, yet she had been powerless to do much to help anyone. Well, almost powerless. It had made her keenly aware of what people really thought of her. Most considered her pushy and slightly obnoxious… though almost everyone around the Planet respected her. And she had made a few people genuinely happy and surprised when she was able to offer a few extra kindnesses here and there.

But there was nothing she could do for Todd in the City Section whose partner just found out he has AIDS.

There was nothing she could do for Janet, whose mom is in the last stages of a vicious cancer.

Or Amy whose brother died in a car wreck four months ago…

Yet all of these people plastered smiles on their faces, said a cheery hello and suffered in silence.

People kept their most tragic secrets close to their chest, and though Lois promised herself she'd be nicer to the people around her, try to be there for them when they'd let her, there was no way to save the lives of any of their loved ones.

It was a lot to take.

It was why she had hidden herself in the restroom. To get a moment's reprieve from her front row seat view of everyone's lives. She needed to focus. Oliver was in trouble. Chloe was soon to follow—and Clark—

Did she understand him any better? Had this little—experiment taught her anything about Clark?

She felt her heart constrict, thinking how many times today she heard him beat himself up for one thing or another. And she knew he could hear things from far away-how many distress calls did he have to ignore in a day in order to take care of something more important? How did he do it? And how much more impressive was it that he did save as many people as he could? Even as he beat himself up for the littlest mistakes? She just wanted to take away all his pain, all his guilt, to just tell him that she was there for him, no matter what.

She sighed again, preparing to leave, as she straightened her jacket and faced her reflection in the mirror. _I can still tell him that and not let on that I know the truth about him. But how do I explain what I know about Chloe and Oliver?_

Lois pulled out her cell phone and sent a quick text to Chloe, hoping to forestall any rash plans she hoped to enact tonight.

_Really need to talk to you. At the Talon later, say 10?_

Lois hit send and said a prayer that she'd have enough time.

~\S/~

Lois beat Clark to Alessandro's.

She had a moment's panic, thinking that she had misjudged, that he wasn't going to show, but the host told her there was a reservation on the books for 'Kent' at seven, and she breathed a little easier.

Yet as she sat down at the table, she couldn't help but feel the anxiety in her stomach, worrying about Oliver and Chloe, and knowing that she would only have a limited time left where she could peel back the stony curtain that was so often Clark Kent and get him to understand what was going on. She had checked sunset time for the evening, and she had exactly 42 minutes before her power would disappear.

Not that she would mind… the burden of hearing everyone's littlest concerns and idiosyncrasies was starting to weigh on her. Already, the fog of mumbled thoughts in the tiny restaurant was encroaching on her mind. She rubbed her forehead, hoping it would all just go away—

"Lois?"

And then it did, as all her thoughts turned to focus on that one voice.

She looked up and smiled as Clark sat down by her. "Sorry I am late," he said with a warm smile. _There was an oil fire on the docks… and the rescue crews couldn't get there in time._

She smiled brighter, glad he had been able to save the day. She just hoped he could manage to save _their_ day as well. "Don't sweat it, Smallvile," she said lightly, picking up her menu.

There was a long pause, and then Clark suddenly sighed, "Wow, I didn't think this day would come, did you? You and I—on an actual date?"

She could hear the smile in his voice, and she set the menu aside. "It is unprecedented," she said, though worry was underlying her tone. She couldn't shake her concern for Oliver and Chloe.

Clark reached a hand across the table, his smile fading into concern as his blue eyes met her brown ones. "Lois, what is it?" _Have I done something wrong?_

She reached out for his hand to reassure him. "It—it's Oliver. I know he's in trouble."

_Why is she still so concerned about Oliver? Does she miss him so much?_

She winced a little, as she realized she did sound a little like her old self in her Ollie-loving days. She had to make Clark understand. "Clark, I wouldn't bring it up except I _know _he's in real danger. But—please don't ask how I know," she murmured, her eyes shifting away from his. "And I think Chloe wants to intervene," she added, still hesitant.

"Lois, what do you mean, Chloe wants to intervene?" he asked, puzzled. _She's back at Watchtower… I left her and she seemed fine._

"She's not fine, Clark," she slipped, the pressure of the day wearing on her. The secrets, the inner lives of all those around her, when the only life she really wanted to understand was sitting right across from her.

"Lois, what's going on?" _I haven't seen you look so scared since your first trip to the future… _

"Clark, I really wanted this evening to be about us. About seeing how an 'us' might actually work," she said, her eyes searching his. _If he only knew what I've seen…that there _has_ to be an us… but first we must trust each other, _she thought, thinking of Superman, of that confident Clark in the future that made her believe they were meant to be together.

She sighed, thinking, unsure what to do next. She looked across the table at the man she loved, and who she knew loved her, but they were still separated by their secrets. She thought of Superman, and his encouraging words: _"Lois, when you go back to your own time and talk to the man I was, just remember, that you—just being you—helped make me the man that I am today."_

She breathed in a sigh, taking courage from the fact that just being herself would be enough, that maybe all Clark needed was for her to offer her trust.

She reached in her purse, changing tactics, as she pulled out the Legion ring, wrapped in a handkerchief. She had carried it with her since she came back from the future, uncertain how or when she would give it to him. But maybe giving him the ring would be a symbol of trust, maybe he would begin to understand that she knew who he was and he'd finally tell her the truth himself. "I have to give this back to the one person who understands its power. I have to give it to the one man who I know can stop Chloe from making a huge mistake-who can save Oliver. Not to change the future—but perhaps to save the present."

She studied it a moment, and then glanced up at Clark. She squinted her eyes in concentration, not hearing his thoughts, and she realized he was simply focused on what she was saying. She looked over his shoulder, seeing that only a few minutes of daylight remained and sighed.

"I used to think that the Blur was simply an unseeable force, but one who wanted to do good in the world," she began quietly, playing with the edges of the handkerchief. "Then, when I started talking to him, I realized he was a man, with feelings and flaws. But he tries so hard to do what is right," she said, her eyes glancing up at him.

_Does she realize she can see into my heart, into my soul?_

She cleared her throat, finding it tight with tears. "I realized he was an extraordinary man, but a man nonetheless. With fears, doubts—and I just want to say that no matter who he really is-I just want to be there for him," she finished softly, setting the ring in its handkerchief down on the table closer to Clark.

_What is she trying to tell me? What did the ring show her this time?_

"This belongs to the Blur," she said, looking at him steadily, though her voice was a little shaky. "I—I know you can get it back to him. And when you see him—"_I just want to tell you that I love you. _But the words would not come. She cleared her throat again, her emotions jostling for position. She knew more of her heart confessions would have to wait. What was important was saving Oliver and Chloe. "Please, Clark, y-he has to stop Chloe," she said, a little desperately.

_Is she in love with the Blur? Why should I blame her? I've struggled to keep it all hidden from her…_

"Clark—" she admonished softly, looking at him, the truth written on her face if only he'd see it. The words to tell him that she knew he was the Blur, to tell him she loved him no matter what, froze in her mouth. Her fear of forcing the truth from him paralyzed her.

Her confession to Superman came back to her: _"I want you to trust me enough to tell me the truth yourself," she said quietly. "I don't want to force it out of you."_

Her eyes pleaded with Clark's as she struggled with what to say. But she felt a confession of her feelings might lead to more truths that she wasn't sure they were ready for. And besides, they didn't have time… She had to stop Chloe from giving herself to the VRA in order to save Oliver.

She pulled herself together as much as she could, held her tears at bay. She glanced out the window—the sun was setting. Her glimpse into the lives around her would be gone within seconds. "Clark, you have to go stop Chloe. She is going to trade herself for Oliver. The VRA has him," she whispered. "Don't worry about me. Please."

She didn't hear anything and she looked up at him, the window dark behind him. Her power was gone. And now she worried that he thought she loved the Blur. He didn't know that she knew the truth and she loved _him_ –Clark Kent-because of who he was, not what he did.

"I have to go, Lois," he said, his voice cool. He picked the ring up, glancing at it in his hand and then again at her. "I'll give this to the Blur. And somehow, he'll save Chloe."

"I know," she said, pouring as much meaning as she could into those two words.

She felt a cool breeze, and turned, seeing the door of the tiny restaurant was open. But when she glanced back at where Clark had been sitting, he was gone.

She thought back, reaching for comfort in her memories of the future—

"_I want you to trust me enough to tell me the truth yourself. I don't want to force it out of you."_

"_Then don't. I'll tell you, Lois. If you can wait for me… "_

"_I would wait for you all my life."_

And she would… she would wait for him to understand that she loved him.

She would wait for him to trust her with the truth.

Only, she wished the waiting didn't make her feel so lonely.

"I love you," she whispered, and at last, let the tears fall.


	9. Chapter 9

When Lois could pull herself together, she left the restaurant… a simple dinner alone with Clark would have to wait for another time. That is, if they ever could come together without the confusion of lies and secrets between them.

Lois stepped out onto the street, a misting rain beginning to envelope the city. She pulled out her phone, seeing that there hadn't been a response from Chloe from her earlier text. She decided to call her, unsure of where Clark had headed for first.

Lois wiped the tears from under her eyes and pressed 'call.'

Though she had almost expected it, her heart lurched a bit when Chloe didn't answer. She hoped that Clark had gotten to her in time.

Frustrated by not knowing how she could help, Lois wandered around the city, thinking over the day, and especially over her dinner with Clark. She didn't understand what Jor-El had wanted her to learn with her temporary power, except that knowing the truth about people, trying to care for everyone, was difficult and even painful.

She understood the burden on Clark's shoulders a bit more though. With his powers, he had chosen to help people when and wherever possible, yet he felt guilty whenever he couldn't get to someone, or he had to choose who had the most need. How did he do it, make those decisions every day?

However he managed to do so many extraordinary things every day, help so many people, she believed he should be happier, should be on the way to becoming that confident hero of the future. Instead, he seemed –afraid, guilty even.

And Lois thought she understood, at least partly, the source of those feelings. It must be Jor-El; she could imagine what an imposing father he must be to Clark, so unlike the love and support he had growing up as the son of Jonathan Kent. Jor-El must have burdened his son with an impossible mantle of responsibility, and though Clark carried it well, he also seemed weighed down by it. With Jonathan gone, shouldn't Jor-El be there to support his son?

Lois knew that only Clark could stop Chloe and save Oliver. She knew Clark could get to Chloe before she could—but maybe Lois could help in another way. Maybe it was time to go back to that ice fortress and confront Jor-El. She had her own questions that needed answering, and maybe in the process, she could help Clark as well.

~\S/~

Clark was back at Watchtower in the blink of an eye.

"Chloe?" he called, not seeing her. He felt his heart in his throat, that maybe Lois had been right, that Chloe was going to tr$ade herself for Oliver.

Clark hoped it wasn't already too late to stop her.

Clark blurred out of Watchtower, and blurred towards the edge of the city, where shady dealings were often carried out. In seconds, he scoured ten miles, at last spotting two dark vans, stopped opposite each other by the river.

A rain was beginning to fall, and he saw Oliver, his hands tied behind his back and a hood drawn over his face step out of the first van, two men in dark suits holding him. At the same moment, Chloe, tied and blindfolded similarly, stepped out of the other. Clark couldn't believe what he saw, as the men led the two to opposite vans. Clark couldn't believe the sacrifice that Chloe was willing to make for Oliver.

How had Lois known? Clark knew Lois could investigate better than anyone, and often got herself into trouble in the process-but how had she known about this? Surely Chloe hadn't told her; she would know that Lois would do all she could to stop her. Clark wondered if the ring had shown her. But his questions would have to wait. Clark had to stop them, had to stop Chloe from putting herself at the mercy of those who wanted to see 'vigilantes' like himself and Oliver stopped.

As Oliver and Chloe began to cross paths, making an obvious switch between the two vans, Clark supersped over, and snatched them away from their captors. Clark didn't stop until he reached Watchtower, his friends held close to him.

Clark set them down in Watchtower at last, taking off their blindfolds and breaking their handcuffs. All three of them stared at each other, dumfounded a moment.

Oliver, his face bruised and bleeding, glanced up at Clark, and then looked over at Chloe. They were both still on the floor, still breathing heavily, trying to make sense of what had almost just happened. His jaw moved, as he seemed to struggle with what to say.

"I—" he hesitated.

Chloe, her eyes wide with shock, and then suddenly wet with tears, launched herself at Oliver. "I would have done anything to save you," she whispered fiercely into his neck.

Oliver wrapped his arm around her, holding her close, and then glanced up at Clark. His eyes met his friend's, and he simply nodded in Clark's direction an unspoken 'thank you,' as he realized what Chloe had intended to do.

Clark nodded in return, glad they were safe. But this reunion only made him want to get back to Lois, to talk to her and get some answers. He supersped out of the tower, leaving the reunited couple to themselves.

"You foolish, foolish girl," Oliver whispered into Chloe's hair, holding her closer to his side once Clark left. "What were you thinking?"

Chloe pulled back from him, meeting his eyes. "I—I was trying to rescue you," she said through tears. "How did Clark know?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. You're safe. That's all that matters, you're safe," he said, pulling her close to give her a kiss.

Chloe met him halfway, thinking how she had almost disappeared into oblivion. God knows what would have happened to her if she had gone through with the trade. She may well have never been heard from again.

But it would have been worth it to know that Oliver was free. She'd do anything for him, make any sacrifice for him. She knew that now, and so did he.

She looked into his eyes, seeing the concern there, the love. She felt foolish as well, considering how easily Clark had solved it all… yet she had been willing to take the burden, make the sacrifice. Perhaps to prove, at last, that she too could be a hero. It was selfish pride, and she knew it. She had trusted what the Helmet of Nabu had shown her, that everything would be fine. She simply hadn't accounted for the possibility that it was Clark that would make it so. It was always Clark that saved the day, after all- and selfishly, she had wanted to be the hero, just this once. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I—just wanted you to be okay."

"Doesn't matter, Chloe. We're safe. Doesn't matter," he whispered, as once more his bronze head, bent to meet her golden one.

~\S/~

Finding Lois had left the restaurant, Clark resignedly went to his favorite perch over the city to think. He took out the Legion ring, contemplating what Lois had told him tonight.

"_I used to think that the Blur was simply an unseeable force, but one who wanted to do good in the world. Then, when I started talking to him, I realized he was a man, with feelings and flaws. But he tries so hard to do what is right,"_

He thought of how she had looked at him at the restaurant, as if she could see right through him. It was almost as if—she _knew_. Clark studied the ring, wondering where it had taken her, what it had shown her… Had the ring shown her what was going to happen with Chloe and Oliver? Or, had she been to another time and seen _him _as he really was?

The possibility sent his heart thudding in his chest, partly with anticipation, and partly with fear. With Lana, his secret had been a manipulation, a wall that both of them hid behind in one form or another, and it had poisoned them. But with Lois—she accepted the Blur without questions, she seemed to love the Blur, but she also seemed to care about him, about Clark.

Had she learned they were one and the same? Or was she simply torn between the two, unable to see their connection, yet drawn to both of them equally?

Had he been too rash to judge her feelings, thinking that she only saw the Blur? Her trust in Clark seemed just as sure, just as strong… If only he knew what she had seen of the future, if only he could piece together that puzzle, maybe he'd understand her heart as well.

He contemplated putting on the ring, but its powers were somewhat unpredictable. It would move one to a time that was needed either for understanding, or to fix an anomaly. But to rashly put on the ring, without knowing where or when to go, could be disaster.

No, it was best if he talked to Lois himself. Maybe he could break down these barriers of secrets and lies once and for all, and learn how she had known about Chloe and Oliver. Had the ring shown her?

It didn't matter, though. What mattered was talking to Lois as honestly as he could. And maybe if she shared her secrets, he could begin to share his as well.

~\S/~

Lois drove towards the Kawatche caves with anxiety roiling in her belly. She didn't know if this was a good idea, but she didn't know how else she would truly understand what Jor-El wanted—from either of them.

It was dark by the time she reached the caves. Lois pulled out her flashlight, her nervousness increasing with each step forward.

"You've faced Ice Daddy once, Lois. You can do it again," she whispered to herself.

Once in the cave, it didn't take her long to find the strange wall with the circular markings that had transported her to the fortress before. However, her first attempts at trying to open the gate failed. She couldn't seem to do the right combination.

At last, she slammed her fist against the wall and cried, her voice echoing all around her, "I want to speak to you, Jor-El! What are you, a coward?"

At that, the circle glowed bright again, and with a gasp, Lois was transported to the ice fortress.

"Lois Lane, why have you returned?" Jor-El asked, sounding somewhat irritated.

"I—I want to know why you gave me that gift. What was I supposed to learn except that there is too much suffering in the world?" she asked, surprising herself that her voice was choked with tears.

"Exactly that, Lois Lane. Clark's burden is to lessen the ills of your planet, and you needed to understand what a burden that is to him."

"But why must it be a burden?" she asked, looking up and around her at the glowing crystals. "Why can't Clark be happy? Have joy? You've burdened him with this impossible task of saving the world—and he's just one man. One extraordinary man, but still…"

"Clark sees his gifts as burdens because he understands the weight of responsibility placed on him, which you do not."

"I get it, I do. And Clark is a hero already. But perhaps it's your disapproval that weighs so heavily on him. Maybe you don't think he is up to the task… Have you tested him like you did me? Have you educated him but not loved him? Have you chastened him but not given him advice? Have you forgotten how to be a father and support your son?"

Suddenly, Lois felt frozen to the spot. Light surrounded her, cold and harsh, and lifted her up above the snowy ground below her.

"Perhaps I was too quick to say you have a place beside my son, Lois Lane. I do love my son. Perhaps it is you who doesn't love him, is not strong enough to support him in his destiny."

Frightened, but determined not to show it, Lois shot back, "I _do_ love your son. And that is precisely the reason I came here. Clark already lost a father on this earth… the least you can do is try to be a father to him here. Give him encouragement instead of trials. Give him love instead of disapproval. Then I guarantee you, Clark will become the hero that we all know is in him."

~\S/~

Clark tried calling Lois, a little concerned that she didn't pick up. She knew, albeit indirectly, that he was trying to help Oliver and Chloe. He thought she would be eager to answer her phone, to know what had happened. Or had he misread her? Had she made her choice, choosing the Blur, which she didn't know was a false option? Had she relinquished the information to stop Chloe in order to declare where her true heart lied?

"Lois," he said with bittersweet affection. _She simply doesn't understand. And it's all my fault…_ Reluctantly, yet full of resignation, Clark pulled out his other cell to call her as the Blur.

She didn't answer this time either. His hand automatically went to his pocket, seeking the comfort of knowing that the Legion ring was still in his possession. She hadn't disappeared into time… but that only worried him further.

Who else could be after Lois?

Clark continued to ring her cell, and circled the city, hitting her usual haunts in hopes of finding her. But to no avail. She wasn't in Metropolis.

Had she headed to Smallville? Surely she would have known that the Blur could get to Chloe faster than Lois could drive to the Talon… But perhaps she had gone there for another reason, had sought comfort at the Kent farmhouse like she had done before. She had been distressed at dinner, even if Clark hadn't understood exactly why.

His heart clenched in his chest with affection and just a little trepidation. He wanted to see her, to tell her what she meant to him. But what if he was wrong? What if she wanted to talk to him to tell him that they could never be together because her heart was for the Blur?

Regardless, Clark had to know. He was tired of running in circles with her. Either they would tell each other the truth or—go their separate ways.

Even though he couldn't see the way forward if they couldn't be together.

He had decided weeks ago, when Lois was lost in time, that a life without her was simply, no life at all.

~\S/~

Clark sped past the Talon, happy to see Lois' truck nowhere in sight. Hope mingled with doubt sprang in his chest that she had sought him out as he headed to the farmhouse.

But as he approached the house, he noticed it was dark. There was no one home. Lois' jeep wasn't there, and there didn't appear to be any new tracks in the drive.

How could he have been so mistaken?

Clark sat down on the porch, in the dark, with a heavy sigh. He pulled out both his cell phones, contemplating which one he should call her from.

Clark's phone? Did she want to hear from him? Have him tell her that the Blur was able to save their friends in time but could she please come over so they could finish the conversation they were having at dinner?

Or did he perpetuate the lie one more time, and call her as the Blur? Bring her to him, and then, reveal himself as her scared best friend that simply didn't know where to go from here if she wasn't by his side?

He looked at his two phones, weighing them each in his hand, as if he weighed the two identities. Which one meant more to Lois? Her hero, or the man who loved her? The man who put up with- and even secretly relished- her tirades and her Whitesnake. The man who teased her like a brother but dreamed of holding her like a lover; who couldn't imagine a world where Lois Lane didn't exist.

He had almost lost himself during those dark days when Lois was lost to time. Without her cheery spirit to guide him and comfort him, he became a ship without a compass, lost at sea.

But she had to know that it was _him_ who was her hero. Not some faceless, nameless friend. She had to know, or they would never move forward, never move past the secrets and the lies.

At last, he crushed the phone in his left hand.

The Blur wouldn't exist for Lois anymore. Not in the sense that he had in the past. She would know him and hopefully love him as Clark—or not at all. She had to understand that loving the Blur was a false choice, as much as it pained him to admit it. That he could only love her as himself, that knowing his identity was the only way they could have a future together.

Clark was all that was left to either of them, and he hoped he would be enough.

~\S/~

"Please pick up, Lois," he whispered into the night air as he tried her phone once again. "Where are you?"

But her phone went to voicemail after about a half a dozen rings… where was she?

Clark closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the porch post. He could hear a dozen night sounds all around him. In his early teens, he used to train himself to pick out and name the different sounds around him. Crickets. A car passing by. An owl. A dog in the bushes. A cell phone—

His thumb had pressed her phone number again, and he could hear it ringing. Clark suddenly sat up, scanning the area for her phone. It was somewhere relatively far away, but still within range of Smallville, he gathered.

Suddenly, he took off, a horrible fear clenched in his gut as he headed for her phone coming from the Kawatche caves.

~\S/~

"Lois!" he called, seeing her jeep parked outside the caves. He found her purse inside the car along with her cell phone. What was she doing out here?

He entered the caves quickly, calling her name. But his voice echoed hollowly in the cavernous rocks around him.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on the portal to the fortress. Fear ripped through him, knowing his father's unpredictability, as he wondered if Lois had somehow accessed the Fortress.

"Jor-El!" he called, anger and fear fighting for position in his heart. He swiftly ran his hands over the stones in the combination to opening the door to the Fortress.

After a flash of light, he was there, in the icy palace, and once again, he called his father's name in anger.

"Jor-El! Where is she? What have you done with Lois?"

"She is not worthy of you, Kal-El. She has defied my authority and questioned my motives."

"What have you done to her?" Clark asked in fear, looking around him pensively.

"She was given a trial, and though her compassion is admirable, she doesn't understand the weight of responsibility on your shoulders, Kal-El."

"Where is she?" he asked more forcefully. "If you have a lesson to teach, teach it to me. But leave Lois out of this!"

All at once, he saw her, lifted above the ground, suspended in a cool light. Clark could see she was freezing, and was possibly barely conscious.

"Jor-El, let her go! You don't know what you are doing to her!" Clark cried to the frozen walls.

"Does she love you, Kal-El?" Jor-El asked matter-of-factly. "And do you love her?"

"Yes!" Clark cried, confused by this new line of questioning. "But if she stays there, she will freeze to death!"

"She was defiant to me, but she does have a spirit that I admire. However, Kal-El, I wonder what you would do for her."

"I would do anything," Clark said, his voice choking. "Please, let her go."

"Kal-El, if you love her, then you will take her from me yourself."

Clark looked up at Lois, suspended at least thirty feet above him. He suddenly knew what he had to do. "I don't understand why you have dragged Lois into this, Jor-El. But you will leave her alone!"

"She came to me, son, looking for answers."

Clark's skin suddenly prickled with understanding. If she had come here, she must know the truth. She had known at dinner. She had known he was the Blur, but had been afraid to tell him. "Oh, Lois," he whispered.

Suddenly, he prepared himself for a super jump. But he didn't want Lois to face him with the shadow of Jor-El hanging over them. He wanted to go back to the farm, talk to her where they were both comfortable, where they both felt like home. Then perhaps there, the last of their secrets could finally melt away.

Clark suddenly jumped, snapping Lois out of Jor-El's hold, and cut through the ceiling into the open sky. He felt a moment of fear, a moment of uncertainty as they hovered, suspended over the crystalline palace.

But Lois' eyes opened and met his, a smile on her lips, even as they trembled from the cold. "I knew you'd come for me, Smallville."

And suddenly, Clark was soaring across the sky. Buoyed by her smile, her trust, her love, or all three-it didn't matter.

He could suddenly fly.


	10. Chapter 10

This next chapter is a lot shorter than the others, but it's a crucial scene. There will be one more chapter plus an epilogue. Thanks for reading and all feedback has been greatly appreciated!

The cool air woke Lois first. She was cradled in his arms, and the whisper of a breeze ran through her hair. She shivered, still feeling the coldness of the ice palace, but his warmth was close to her, and she snuggled deeper. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake from it.

Her adventures to the future had all been touched by surreal ephemeral, moments that could only be experienced in her memory. But now, she was really in his arms, could feel the strength of them around her back, could hear the comforting thud of his heart, could feel the cool leather of his jacket. These were all tangible realities, a coming together of the closeness she had felt with him in those other times, hidden in a mist of her memories.

As she stirred awake, she became more aware, seeing the wind blow through his hair, the moon shining on his skin, making him look almost like alabaster marble. She sat up slightly in his arms, and his eyes met hers, shining blue.

"Clark, you're flying!" she said in whispered awe, surprising him a bit as she clutched tighter to him, not in fear, but in a half-hug. "I knew you could…" she said breathlessly.

He watched her breathless excitement in puzzlement, as all of this was completely new to him, yet she seemed like she had known he had this ability within him. For Clark, flying had been the final barrier to becoming the hero Jor-El had told him was his destiny. How ironic that defying Jor-El and choosing Lois had been the final piece of the puzzle. He realized with chilling amazement, that he actually did have the power within him all along.

So many questions hung in Clark's mind, suspended like the stars around them. How long had she known the truth about him? And why had she been afraid to tell him that she knew?

But deep down, he knew why she hadn't told him. His own fears and doubts had unintentionally pushed her away. She had probably been terrified to tell him what she knew, afraid that he would run from her.  
>And even now, as she looked up at him with such trust and understanding, he knew that she was waiting for him to tell her the words first. Even now, she was as patient as Job, a seeming contradiction in Lois that was also the very essence of her; she waited when it mattered, just as she rushed in when it mattered. And with affairs of the heart, he knew, Lois would wait forever—only, she wouldn't have to.<p>

It was time for the truth at last.

~\S/~

They landed a short time later at the Kent farmhouse. Lois was still a bit shivery, and not speaking, they entered the farmhouse, still wrapped in the spell of Clark's first flight. Clark immediately began making her a cup of tea to help warm her up, barely taking his eyes off her, just as she refused to notice anything else in the room but him as well.

Lois eventually sat down on the living room sofa, waiting until Clark came over. He made a quick fire using his heat vision, which Lois simply acknowledged with a glance, her eyebrow lifting as if to say, 'impressive… but first we need to talk.'

Clark sighed heavily, but not unhappily—simply resigned. He had gone through these explanations before, even sometimes with Lois in alternate times or places, but inevitably something would always go wrong or get changed, and they'd end back up at square one. As he looked at her, he realized each of those times had been rehearsal for this, the big moment—the moment that he would never take back, and finally, knew he'd never want to. And suddenly, he wasn't nervous anymore. Because Lois had always accepted him—no matter what. He knew this time would be no different.

Clark wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and handed Lois a cup of tea. "Thanks," she smiled at him, a bit shyly.

He almost sat opposite of her in his father's old armchair, thinking she needed some space from him, but seeing her eyes sparkle in the firelight, knowing what this moment would mean to both of them, he chose instead to sit right next to her.

He was relieved to see a welcoming smile in her eyes. It gave him the courage to find his way to her, carefully reaching for her hand, gently brushing the hair out of her eyes, as he thought about how to begin. "Lois," he said at last, softly. "How long have you known?"

Unexpectedly, she shook her head, biting her lip, and looked down at the mug in her hands. "You first," she whispered, glancing up, and he caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.

He breathed in and nodded, "I suppose that's fair…" he murmured, but then met her eyes. " Lois—I'm the Blur," he said formally and simply, letting go the gust of air in his lungs, almost knocking out the fire.

Lois laughed nervously, indicating the fireplace. "Well, I guess that proves it… if the flight over Canada hadn't…"

Her attempt at a joke didn't work to lighten the moment, though. She still seemed uncertain, afraid to express what she knew and how. Clark took her hands in his, setting aside her cup of tea; his hands warming her instead of the steaming cup. "Lois, I've wanted to tell you for so long… I—just didn't know how. And when you started talking to the Blur—" she gave him a measured look, and he acquiesced, "—to me, as the Blur-well, I just wanted to protect you."

"Smallville, you may have wanted to protect me physically, but you don't know what havoc you wreaked on my heart. I was so torn—" she looked down at his hands, and semi-consciously she started tracing his palms, half-thinking of the many times those very hands had saved her.

"But—it doesn't matter now, Clark. What matters is that you've told me the truth. That's all I've ever wanted-"

He stopped her just then, his hand leaving her grasp to gently stroke her chin with his thumb as he urged her to look at him, her eyes twinkling in the fire's glow. "Is it all you've ever wanted, really? Was there ever—a part of you that wanted—" he swallowed, seeing her uncertainty, a fragile side of Lois that was so rare and ever so compelling. He wondered if her eyes were mirrors of his own. Yet, he never doubted that Lois could see into the very heart of him. If he could see her fears, he was certain she could see his. "Was there ever a part of you that just wanted—me?" he finally asked, the last word barely above a whisper.

She reached out, cupping his face in both her hands, gentle as birds' wings as she moved closer to him. "Smallville," she said with deep affection, "I think I always wanted you. I just didn't know how to ask."

"Lois," he said, caressing her name as he spoke it.

Without thinking, without questioning, like two magnets seeking home, they kissed. Her mouth parted, allowing him to taste her, to feel her. Their kiss seemed to erase all their fears, their insecurities as a new bond was forged between them. Affection and love surged through Clark, and he suddenly couldn't get enough of her. Somehow, she moved onto his lap. Her skin was still cool from her time in the Fortress, but he soothed every exposed inch, caressing her arm, kissing her neck.

Holding Lois to him felt perfect, right. There was only warmth and gentle pleasure. He was in awe her smile, thrilled at the touch of her hands on his chest. His secret was now her secret, and he knew she'd keep it well.

~\S/~

Lois marveled at the man before her, holding her in the simple glow of truth. He trusted her with his heart, and she wanted to return the gift.

"Clark," she said in the still darkness, the fire the only light in the room.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice mellifluous with happiness.

"I went to see Jor-El because I had questions about you—about us. Grant it, I stumbled upon him and his ice palace," she sighed. "But I went back the second time to try and understand."

"What do you want to know, Lois? I can say honestly for the first time, that for you, my life is an open book."

"Jor-El said I needed to understand what you go through… He gave me a gift. It's gone now—" she hastily added, as she glanced over her shoulder at Clark's worried expression behind her. She sighed, "He gave me the gift of reading people's thoughts."

She almost could hear Clark swallow his nervousness. Instead, he cleared his throat slightly, "And you had this gift at dinner, right?" he asked softly.

She nodded, knowing he could feel her answer against his chest. "Jor-El was right. I did learn so much about you—how brave and wonderful you are. But also, how you have to make life and death decisions every day. I don't know how you do it, Smallville… You know, I always knew you had a big heart," she said, turning slightly in his embrace to lay her hand gently on his chest. "But I just didn't know how strong it was," she said, leaning up to kiss him again.

She settled back on his chest, each listening to the steady rhythm of their breaths. Lois thought for a long moment, wanting to share with him something of the future that she had seen—but she didn't know how prudent it would be to give it all away. Still, something in her prodded her to continue.

"You know, tonight when you flew?" she whispered.

"I flew because of you, Lois."

"I know," she said warmly, a smile in her voice. "It wasn't my first time flying in your arms," she admitted, even sounding a little guilty.

"Really?" Clark asked, startled.

"I flew in your arms in the future, Clark…" she said dreamily, thinking of Superman.

"What did you see of the future, Lois?" he asked, and she could hear a little desperation in his voice to know about that far-off time, that taunted him and compelled him at once.

"You won't always be the Blur, Clark. He's just one guise, one step to becoming the hero that the world needs. I've seen the hero you become… I've seen him in the future," she leaned up again to look at him, "and I see him in you—every day."

She could perceive the pensive worry on his face, the fear that he would never live up to that great distant hero, whoever he was. Lois laid her hand on his cheek, trying to soothe his concerns.

"Clark, you don't need to worry. You will become the hero that Jor-El trained you to be and that you strive every day to become," she said, her voice full of gentle conviction. But noticing his doubts still lingered, she moved a little closer, her eyes meeting his fully. "And you won't do it alone."

He was quiet a moment, and then smiled up at her, a boyish, charming smile that always caught her off guard. "I feel like I can do anything when you look at me like that. You always seem to rescue me, one way or another, when I feel the most uncertain."

She smiled in return, and snuggled closer to him, as they settled into the sofa to sleep. "That's what I'm here for, Smallville. One save at a time."


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the delay! RL got in the way... I should be on a more regular writing schedule and hope to post more by the end of the week!

_

Lois had only briefly napped on Clark's chest before she awoke again, feeling content, yet her mind was still full of questions. Throughout the wee hours of the morning, she asked him all the silly questions that had plagued her about him. She asked him about what he knew about where he was from, and how much of a burden it had been for him to hide his secret. She went through their history together, seeking understanding about some of their weird experiences that Clark had always been able to brush off as not abnormal, like their trip to the Phantom Zone. Then, having exhausted the questions about the past, she started thinking about how they came to this moment, and she asked the question that mattered most to her heart... When did he know he loved her?

"Lois, when we first met, you were the most infuriating person I knew. You drove me crazy because I was attracted to you, yet we were like-" he gestured with his hands, searching for words to explain.

"Fire and ice? Peanut butter and—halibut?" she said, offering her suggestions with a smile.

He rolled his eyes. "I never did like that comparison… but, yeah. At the same time though—" he turned her slightly in his arms to face him, brushing aside a lock of hair to look into her eyes. "There was something about you that always made sense to me. You could cut me down with a look, and then build me back up with a smile. You—took my breath away."

She looked at him a long moment, taking in that compliment. "You know, I could say the same thing about you, Clark. There were times when you drove me nuts—yet I always knew I could count on you. I always—I guess _we_ always understood each other, somehow."

She settled back on his chest, and Clark gently stroked her arm as they were each lost in their thoughts.

"Smallville?" she asked in the semi-darkness, her voice sounding small and fragile.

"Hmm?" he answered lazily, tired, yet content to talk as long as she wanted to talk.

"When did you know? I mean, that I-that you-" she began, but couldn't seem to get the words out.

"When you disappeared," he sighed heavily, remembering those dark days. "You know the saying you don't miss something till it's gone? Well, it's true," he said, mildly rueful. "I foolishly didn't realize what I felt for you until I thought I'd never see you again," he squeezed her gently to him, kissing her hair. "When I thought I'd lost you—I—became lost myself. That's how I knew."

"Clark? If I hadn't found the Fortress, if I hadn't met Jor-El-" she started, still a bit hesitant.

"I was going to tell you, Lois," he reassured her. "I've wanted to for a long time, but it always seemed to go wrong."

She seemed to breathe easier and settled back onto his chest.

"Lois?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you knew I was the Blur, did you—I mean—"

This time she interrupted him, reassured him. "I did, Smallville. I had feelings for you long before I knew you were the Blur, though I didn't acknowledge them to myself until—" she stopped, uncertain.

"Until when?" he prodded.

She covered her face with her hands, remembering the humiliation of the night of Chloe's wedding. "I'd rather not say…"

"When, Lois? You can tell me."

She peeked through her fingers then brought her hands down, rolling over with a groan until she ended up half laying on his chest, and half on the sofa, but facing him. "I really don't want to bring her name up…"

"Lana," he answered with a resigned sigh, as he at last understood.

"Yup," she answered succinctly, glad she didn't have to say it.

He looked at her tenderly, "Lois, my love for you is so much more than I ever had for Lana. There was always a game between us, half-truths." He shook his head, trying to make her understand. "When I said I was lost when you disappeared, I never had that feeling when Lana went away. When she was in my life, I always ended up off course, uncertain. But with you-it's completely different. I depend on you to understand parts of myself that I don't always see… That was one thing that impressed me about you when I talked to you as the Blur… you could always see straight through me, even when you didn't know who you were looking at. Lois, you always _knew_ me… Whether as Clark or as the Blur, you could always see what was wrong, and bring out what was best in me. Lois with you I'm- stronger than I am alone. "

"Smallville," she said, her voice caught in her throat.

"I'll always be there for you. I lo—"

He pulled her up to him, stopping her, until they were face to face. "Let me say it first," he whispered tenderly, kissing her cheek.

She nodded, giving him a little smile.

"I love you, Lois Lane."

"I love you, Clark Kent," she breathed, stretching up the last few inches to reach his mouth for a kiss. "I always will," she whispered against his lips.

He pulled her closer to him, seeing the early morning rays of the sun start to stretch across the living room, replacing the soft glow of the dying fire.

"I'll always be there for you, Lois. Always."

~\S/~

After Oliver's close call, Chloe spent the next day researching what she could about the VRA, and she was not happy with what she found. A bill was being passed in Congress to require all 'vigilantes'—a pejorative term that made Chloe's skin prickle in fear—to register with the US government. After hearing Ollie's tales of being beaten and questioned, she had no doubt that the VRA would allow the US military to do whatever they wanted with the heroes, up to and including throwing them into a Gitmo wannabe, if the heroes didn't do as Uncle Sam asked.

Something had to be done to stop the VRA from being passed.  
>Chloe believed there was support for the heroes out there, but she just wasn't sure how to get people involved in showing it.<p>

Chloe glanced up from the computer when she heard the door to Watchtower open. "Hey," she said, not bothering to hide the contented grin on her face as Oliver came over to greet her. "I missed you this morning," she said as he leaned in to kiss her hello, though she looked at him slightly askance in his toned down crime-fighter hoodie. "I hope you were careful."

He grinned back. "No one knew Green Arrow was up and about this morning, don't worry. But, you should know that there is a pro-hero rally scheduled today… " He said, taking off his hoodie to sling it over a chair as he settled into a seat next to her.  
>"Word is getting spread about the VRA, and it seems the public is on our side, for once."<p>

"Well, that's all well and good, but what do we do if the VRA becomes law?"

Oliver ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, looking a little tired when Chloe looked closely, still recovering from his own brush with the supporters of the VRA. "I don't know. But, no matter what, I know that the Team will not stop fighting to save people. We'll find a way to fight back."

~\S/~

Martha woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing. She _saw_ her son, plummeting to his death, but she couldn't save him, couldn't reach him… She sat up in bed, wiping tears from her face as she reached for the light next to her bed, to try to banish the shadows the dream had conjured. She didn't understand it, but the thought of Clark dying terrified her, more than the thought of him disappearing with the Kandorians… But wasn't he already gone?

She didn't know. She felt herself shaking as she got out of bed and reached for her wrapper. It was just after eight in the morning, and she had to be on the Hill by ten. But she also had to know what had happened to him… was her son already gone to some distant planet where she'd never see him again—or worse? Had Zod killed Clark?

Her hands trembling, she called the farmhouse, not knowing if anyone would answer. But if Clark were alive-

"Hello?" a sleepy voice answered.

"Lois?" Martha asked in some surprise, momentarily coming out of her fearful stupor.

"Mrs. Kent?" Lois returned, sounding a bit more awake.

Martha breathed in, trying to calm herself so she wouldn't alarm Lois. "Have you—have you seen Clark?" she asked, forcing cheeriness into her tone.

"Yeah, he's sleeping on the couch," Lois said, and Martha could hear the affection in her tone. "—but if it's important, Mrs. K—"

"No," Martha interrupted, trying to stem the tears of relief. "Just… just tell him I love him."

"Is everything okay, Mrs. K?"

Tears were streaming freely, and Martha struggled to gain control of her voice. "Everything is fine, Lois. Just—have him call me when he gets up."

"I will… and, Mrs. K?"

"Yes, Lois?"

"Take care, okay?"

"I will, honey. You too."

"I will. Bye."

Martha hung up the phone, and let herself fall onto her bed. Clark was alive. She didn't care how, but that fact alone was enough.

Now, as relief flooded her, she could face the day.

As long as Clark was still in the world, there was still hope.

~\S/~

Lois made some coffee and settled back on the sofa, careful not to disturb Clark who was still sleeping. As she sipped her coffee, she couldn't seem to wipe the smile from her face. He loved her—and she loved him. Could the world be any more perfect?

She shook her head, as much at her incredulity of her own sentimentality as to try and focus on other things. They had to get to work soon, and it would help to know what's been going on in the world over the last twelve hours.

Lois turned on the television, quickly pushing the mute button to allow Clark to sleep in peace. She turned to the morning news, hoping to see something she could chase down for the print press…

What she saw, though, was disturbing. An anti-hero protest was in its early throes preempting a pro-hero rally scheduled for later in the day. Lois was dismayed to see none other than Ray Sachs, a corrupt DA who has been on her radar for a while, sponsoring it. If he was supporting the VRA, then she had more reason than ever to go after him.

She read the scroll at the bottom of the screen: "Sachs supports VRA movement… 'Blur is a menace that must be taken down… ' VRA passed Congress, has gone to a state referendum…"  
>"Oh <em>hell<em> no…" Lois said angrily, suddenly wanting to get to the Planet and see what could be done to stop this.

"What is it?" came a groggy voice from the sofa.

Lois leaned over and touched his arm. "Sorry," she smiled apologetically. "Didn't mean to wake you."

He grinned up at her, and she couldn't help but lean down and give him a quick kiss. Then she pulled back, slightly embarrassed, as she wasn't sure that's what he was expecting.

"Sorry—I—" she floundered.

He simply reached for her, his eyes tenderly searching hers. "Lois, it's okay. It's better than ok… I—I can't think of anything better to wake up to than a kiss from you."

To prove it, he pulled her down beside him and showed her what a proper morning kiss should be like. When she could surface for air, Lois was all smiles. "Well… I could certainly get used to that."

He smiled back at her and then glanced at the television, his brow knotting up in concern. "That doesn't look good…"

Lois unmuted the TV and sat back down next to Clark.

_"Mr. Sachs is coming to City Hall at noon today to give a press conference on why Kansas must pass the VRA referendum. These protestors behind me are expressing their concern that if the referendum is not passed, our city streets may no longer be safe. Reporting live…_

Lois shook her head and glanced at Clark, immediately disheartened by the distressed look on his face.

"What am I going to do?" he asked despondently. "There are so many hero haters out there-"

"Clark, stop," she said, taking her hand in his. "This is just trumped up BS that we can fight. If Sachs is supporting it, then you know it can't be good. Let's get down to the Planet and see what we can find out. There has to be a way to stop it from being passed."

Clark sighed, pulling Lois to him. "I'm glad you know my secret, Lois. It feels good to have you on my side."

She smiled sweetly at him, "Clark, I've always been on your side. Even before I knew you were the Blur." She stood up and turned to face him, her hands on her hips, all business. "But we have some serious butt to kick today, so as much as I'd love to laze on this sofa with you all day, we need to whoosh off to work."

~\S/~

At the Planet, Lois was even more disheartened by the Planet's morning edition. Tess evidently let go to press a few op-eds that decried the heroes, and threw their support towards passing the VRA.

"Where does she get off—" Lois grumbled, making her way to Tess' office, the paper in hand.

Lois slapped the edition on Tess' desk, forcing her attention from her computer screen. "Well, hello to you, too, Lois," she said dryly, then plastered on a fake smile. "How can I help you?"

"Why did you approve these hero-hating articles?" Lois asked, knowing that Tess knew Clark was the Blur just made her even more outraged that she would do this.

For the first time since Lois has known her, Tess looked taken aback. "I didn't approve these…" she said, picking up the paper.

"Then who did?" Lois demanded.

"I don't know… I'll have to get to the bottom of this… " Tess reached for her phone. "Write up a counter-piece. If you can get it to me by noon, I'll have it in the afternoon edition."  
>Lois looked back at Tess in surprise. "Really?" she asked, the angry wind taken out of her sails.<p>

"I know we need the heroes, Lois. The VRA can't pass."

~\S/~

~\S/~

Lois went back to her desk and immediately got to work. Clark was nowhere to be seen, but she bet he was working on a way to diffuse the hero-hatred the media was stirring up.

She read through her piece again, thinking it hit all the right tones, and definitely highlighted how much the Blur has helped the city, but she thought she could do more.

Lois glanced up from her computer, surprised and relieved to see her cousin heading towards her desk.

"Chloe!" she cried, jumping out of her chair to hug her cousin. "I'm glad you're okay."

Chloe laughed nervously, "It's, um, good to see you too, Lois."

Lois stepped back and smiled at her cousin, wishing they could talk privately. She had so much to tell her…

"Look, I stopped by to um, well—I need to look at some files – just a pet project," Chloe shrugged.

Lois eyed her cousin, knowing she was hiding something. Probably the thing she's been hiding for years. The secret she didn't need to hide anymore.

Chloe glanced around, seeming to find Lois' scrutiny a bit uncomfortable. "Is there something up, Lo?" she asked.

Lois thought a moment, knowing the daunting task ahead of her and Clark with stopping the VRA. It would help if Chloe knew she knew the truth – maybe they could problem solve together.

"Follow me," Lois said, leading the way to the storage room.

Chloe trailed behind her. They stepped inside, and Lois closed the blinds and locked the door.

"You and I need to talk," Lois said with a heavy sigh.

"Lo, what is it?"

"Chloe, how long have we been friends? Our whole lives? From the first time we went on summer vacation together? From the day you confessed you broke my walkman?" Lois walked over to Chloe, her eyes meeting her best friend's. "From that day in high school when you told me you met a really cute guy – a guy who has changed both our lives, in many ways…"

"Clark?" Chloe asked slowly.

Lois nodded. "Chloe. I know about Clark. I know his secret –"

"Lois what are you-"

Lois shook her head, her eyes serious. "There's no need to pretend, Chlo. Clark told me everything… I know he rescued you and Ollie the other night—in fact, I pretty much sent him to do just that."

"How did—"

"It doesn't matter. What matters, is I need my cousin. Clark has a huge task ahead of him to face down this VRA… and it doesn't help that Ray Sachs is playing the hero –he'll have people voting against their own interests if we don't do something to stop him… Somehow, we need to get the Blur's message out to the masses…"

Lois walked over to a pile of dusty boxes, thinking.

"You sure are taking this all in stride… how long have you known, Lois?"

"Hmm?" Lois glanced up from a dusty box she had picked up, then smiled at Chloe. "A reporter never divulges her secrets."

"Lois," Chloe chided.

After a beat, Lois capitulated- a little. "I have known for a while… but Clark told me the truth himself," she emphasized. "And honestly, it only makes me love him more… Ah, here's something," she said, bringing a box over to Chloe.

"Wow, Perry White… " Lois said reverently, taking out some of his old photos and articles, brushing away the dust. "He's a real journalist – goes out there and gets the story, brings truth to the people."

"You are too, Lois."

Lois smiled. "You know, with my PR skills and your, uh, computer skills-just had an idea."

Chloe perked up, interested. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you could hack into a few media news outlets?"

Chloe nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Maybe. How many you thinking?"

Lois grinned, "All of them."


	12. Chapter 12

Here's the end! Finally! Sorry it took so long... epilogue is coming soon!

Lois left Chloe a little while later to work on their pet project to get the message of the Blur out to the masses. She wanted to be at Sachs' press conference, to run interference, if need be – or to at least know exactly what was said so she could write up a story to argue against it.

Down at City Hall, a large group had shown up to hear the D. A. speak. As Lois predicted, much of Sachs' speech was overblown rhetoric about how the city's law enforcement couldn't protect people with vigilantes running around town. People seemed to be buying into it, and almost before she knew what she was doing, Lois was heading up to the podium

She swept past security and pushed aside Ray Sachs. "Move it or lose it, buddy," she murmured angrily, positioning herself before the microphone.

Lois stood at the podium a moment, looking into the expectant faces of the crowd. She hadn't meant to be the spokesperson for Clark, but the Blur was losing support, thanks to the hogwash Sachs was spouting. Lois simply couldn't sit idly by and do nothing.

She took a deep breath, and began speaking from her heart. "I'm Lois Lane from the Daily Planet and I'm here to tell you -that I know the Blur. The D.A. says that a true hero would come forward. Well, the Blur can't," she said breathless, imagining what would happen if Clark revealed himself to the world as he was. "It's because he knows the best way for him to protect you and me is to steer clear of all this political hoopla, and remain the one thing that you and I need most- a light in the darkness, a symbol for us to believe in when all other hope is lost," she said, seeing the crowd begin to listen to her intently. She realized she had the people's full attention now, and she hoped she could do some good with that power. She thought of Superman, of the strength in Clark; she wanted to impart what she knew was good about him, what made him special – why she loved him. "I've looked into the Blur's heart and I can tell you that his intentions [i]are[i] good. Let the Blur be the hero he needs to be."

To Lois' surprise, the crowd erupted into applause. She smiled, her eyes unexpectedly catching Clark's among the milieu. He seemed touched by her speech, and she felt comforted that she had done the right thing in speaking out.

Lois felt a tug on her arm. It was security telling her she needed either to leave or be arrested. Lois shook off the grip and headed towards the steps of the makeshift stage. "Have a nice day, Sachs," she said tartly. "Your days are numbered."

Lois didn't head over to Clark, afraid she'd draw attention to him. The last thing she wanted anyone to think was that Clark had anything to do with the Blur. She simply smiled at him, and nodded towards the Planet building a few blocks away. He nodded back and she knew he got the message; they'd talk about things later.

~\S/~

After circumventing the crowd, Lois pulled out the hastily written instructions Chloe had given her. It was to lead her to a place Chloe had called Watchtower, mission control for the heroes. Lois felt a little nervous about encroaching on Clark's territory without him being aware, but Chloe and she agreed that it was best if their media blitz was carried out in secret, where Chloe could out maneuver anyone who wanted to trace their activities.

Lois soon found the address, looking up at the building a little in awe. This tower had always seemed like a beacon in the city, casting a colorful kaleidoscope on nearby buildings in the late afternoon on clear days. She had always admired it.

The first door she encountered was pretty low-tech and not very impressive. There was no button to ring the top floor, so Lois called Chloe on her cell. Without even answering it, Lois was buzzed in.

She entered the building, which housed a few nondescript apartments and doctors' offices. Lois headed for the service elevator, going to its top floor, which wasn't the top floor, but the limit of access to the workers and residents in the building.

Lois took out the paper again, consulting the hand drawn map.

Chloe had given her one key, to use on room 501. She found the room, and opened it, surprised to see only a small lobby with another elevator. The room was dark, lit with just a few track lights. She shut and locked the door, then pressed the elevator call button.

"Hi, Lois," came Chloe's voice from somewhere above her. " Just step in the elevator. It will scan you, but don't worry. Just stay still."

Lois shook her head, impressed already with Chloe's hideout, as she stepped into the elevator as Chloe had instructed. "Fort Abram's has nothing on this place," she murmured.

"Welcome to Watchtower," said an automated female voice.

"Feels like I just stepped into the twilight zone."

A few moments later, the scanning and the elevator stopped and Lois stepped off. Two beautifully painted stain-glass doors were in front of her, seemingly out of conjunction with the high-tech elevator ride she just had.

"Chloe?" Lois called a little uncertainly.

The doors opened, and Chloe's smile met Lois. "I've been busy. Come in and I'll show you."

Lois looked around, impressed. Suddenly, though, a flash of memory hit her. When she had been in that future apocalyptical world, she had seen this place.

"Lois, are you all right?"

Lois shook her head, as if to shake loose the memory. "Yeah, fine. Just a bit of déjà vu… I—have been here before- in the future."

Chloe looked at her with even more concern. "What [i]did[i] you see in the future, Lois?"

Lois glanced at her cousin, surprised that she appeared to have already known about her misadventures with the ring. But then she nodded to herself and murmured, "I suppose Clark told you?"

"Yeah… I'm sorry, Lois. For all the secrets-"

Lois gave Chloe a bittersweet smile. "I understand now, Chloe. It's ok… and as for the future," she sighed, walking towards Chloe's computer console. "Well, I don't think we need to worry about it now that Zod is out of the picture."

Lois took in all of the work Chloe had been doing. Twenty different news sites now carried an anonymous op-ed article written by Lois; many of them had hundreds of comments already.

"And," Chloe began with some pride in her voice. "I got the website up and running. The Beacon of Hope is the first search result people will see when looking up the VRA. There are already thousands of videos uploaded in support of the Blur… Hundreds are being uploaded every hour, and it's only been up for about four hours!"

"Chloe, this is amazing! This has to go in our favor… I hope Clark—"

"Hope Clark what?" came a familiar voice, following a swoosh of air.

Lois turned to him, her heart caught in her throat to see him dressed as the Blur. She took in his t-shirt, with his family crest, and the black jacket, still thrilling at the idea of knowing who he really is.

"I—I hope you don't mind me intruding on the club house, but Chloe and I—"

"We've been working on a little project to garner support for the heroes," Chloe chimed in excitedly, bringing up Lois' article on the computer screen.

Lois watched Clark carefully as he read through her article and some of the comments. He turned to smile at her, clearly touched. "But will all these people be at the polls tomorrow? And will it be enough?" he asked, thoughtfully.

"How about this?" Chloe asked, bringing up the videos the Beacon of Hope website had collected. "These, are just for you."

Clark watched and listened, humbled and in awe of the many people speaking out in support of him, thanking him for his diligence in keeping the city safe.

"I can't believe there are so many people willing to speak out for me," he said, clearly touched.

Lois stepped up to him, touching his arm. "You're a real American hero, Clark."

~\S/~

Clark couldn't believe the efforts Lois and Chloe had made to help get the VRA overturned. He hoped it would be enough…

The truth, was that he was tired of hiding in the shadows. He knew that he couldn't always be the Blur… and he wondered, not for the first time what Lois had really seen in the future. Who would he become and what would that persona do to the life of Clark Kent?

Worried about the future, Clark left the girls to continue their cyber war on the media. He needed to clear his head, and think…

Clark took off into the skies, relishing the cool wind blowing through his hair, his coat whipping around his legs.

Clark drifted in the air, heading towards the farm, a place that called to him whenever he needed to find certainty. As he floated over the golden grasses of Kansas, the afternoon sun warmed his back. He flipped over, embracing the sun on his face, his chest. The light called to him, and he suddenly felt the incongruence of his dark attire. Clark knew he wasn't meant to lurk in the shadows; he had been forced to do it out of necessity. In his deepest heart, he wondered if voting down the VRA would allow him one day to show the world his true self – though he knew he didn't want to do it as some dark coated vigilante. He knew that he would have to represent something stronger, purer, and more positive.

As Clark neared the farmhouse, he was surprised to see his mother's car in the driveway. He hadn't seen her since she had given him the Book of Rao.

Clark swooped onto the porch and stepped inside. "Mom?" he called.

"Clark!" she answered, stepping in from the living room to embrace him. "I was so worried about you! I had these terrible nightmares—" she began, fiercely embracing her son.

"It's okay, Mom. Everything is fine."

She looked up at him. "I hope so – and I've been working overtime to speak out about the VRA. The vote is tomorrow, and I hope enough people show up at the polls…"

"So do I," Clark sighed heavily. He glanced at the sofa, seeing what looked like a jumpsuit and his mother's sewing kit laid out. "What's this, Mom?" he asked, picking up the blue suit.

His mother almost looked embarrassed as she began to gather up her sewing materials. "I have just been thinking, Clark – you can't be the hidden Blur forever… If the VRA gets repealed-" She took the suit from his hands and held it up to him. "I just thought you could use a change of uniform. I was just putting on the finishing touches."

"Mom, I don't know… I mean—a spandex suit?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, it's in your favorite colors… and Clark, you are a symbol to Metropolis—and more and more to this country and the world! – of hope. It's important that someday you are able to show the world who you really are."

"And how would I be able to live a normal life? Won't people recognize me?"

"Well, Lois and I have been working—"

"Lois is in on this too?"

Martha smiled, "She loves you, Clark. She told me about her idea that you could wear glasses, sort of like a disguise-" she said, pulling out a sample pair.

Clark took them in hand, thinking. "Lois has seen the future, Mom. I wonder… how much she knows about what I will become."

"And do you trust what she has seen? Do you trust Lois?"

Clark didn't hesitate. "With my whole heart—Mom," he said, suddenly full of excitement. "I can fly."

"What? Clark! That's—wonderful!"

Clark grinned. "Lois – well, she made it possible… she's even seen me fly in the future… " His voice trailed off and he glanced again at the spandex suit. His face suddenly lit up in a grin and he put on the thick, black framed glasses, smiling at his mother. "So, how does your mild-mannered reporter look now?"

~\S/~

The next day, everyone gathered at the Kent farm to watch the results of their efforts. Exhausted from passing out leaflets, and staying up late to monitor the media and intervene through creative hacking when necessary, Lois and Chloe sat on the sofa clutching mugs of coffee as they waited for the results.

"We did the best we could, Lois… now it's in the hands of the voters."

Their media blitz had worked better than expected. Since the night before, all the news outlets had been talking about their Beacon of Hope website, and everyone was speculating about who had written the anonymous piece that was floating around the internet in support of the heroes.

Lois glanced over at Clark, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back, but let out a small sigh, revealing some of her worry. "I just hope it was enough," she murmured into her cup. In her heart, she believed it had to be enough – she couldn't see how there could be a future with Superman if the VRA was still in effect. And that thought frightened her most of all – Clark had seemed so secure, so sure of himself in that future persona, and she would hate for the politicians to take the opportunity to become the world's hero away from him.

"It's on!" Chloe called into the kitchen, bringing Martha in and Clark's attention to the television.

Lois reached for the remote to turn up the sound.

[i]"This historic vote is of course, the first of its kind, with an unprecedented number of people going to the polls… And I've just been told, with all fifty states reporting in, that we can announce that the measure to repeal the VRA… has passed."[i]

Chloe and Lois jumped to their feet, nearly splashing each other with their coffee as they squealed with happiness and hugged each other.

Lois turned to Clark, beaming up at him, and he looked down at her, awe and love written on his face.

"Thank you," Clark said sincerely, pulling her to him for a hug.

"You should thank your mom and Perry. They were my inspiration," Lois said, her eyes lit up with delight.

"But it's [i]you[i] who believed in me… Lois," he said, taking her off to the side, away from Martha and Chloe who were still watching the results on the television. "What did you see—I mean, in the future. Who was I?"

She cupped his cheek, her eyes meeting his, seeing his fears and wanting to soothe them. "Clark, you don't need to worry about the future. Now that the VRA has been repealed, you can still be the Blur… and when you're ready—"

"You saw the suit my mom made?" he interrupted nervously.

She grinned. "It's [i]exactly[i] like I saw in the future, Clark. I know the time is coming… but it should be when you are ready."

He sighed, "Some days I wonder if I ever will be – but, Lois, when we—flew together that first time, there was something so—right about it. To be out in the open is who I'm meant to be, but I don't want to lose Clark Kent in the process."

"Clark, it's not the suit that determines who you are, it's your character. It's who your parents raised you to be – the guy I fell in love with," she said, reaching to kiss his cheek. "And will always love. I think the suit will simply become a symbol, one of hope to the world. But you—your strength, integrity, and goodness—that's who you are."

Clark looked in Lois' eyes, his fingers feather-light on her jaw as his thumb gently stroked her chin. "Lois, I can't believe I ever doubted telling you the truth about me… I'm sorry for all those times I—"

"Hush, Smallville," she said quietly, her hands reaching around his neck to pull him closer. She refused to let him beat himself up.

"Lois, what you said today at the press conference—it was amazing—"

"Shh…"

His mouth gaped open, as hers suddenly mesmerized him.

"I don't know how I deserve—"

"Kiss me, Smallville. And all is forgiven."

~\S/~

Lois was practically singing when she entered the Planet the next morning. The VRA had been overturned, and she was ready to get to work on her next great story.

On her desk, she was pleasantly surprised to find a single rose with a simple note: "Meet me on the roof."

Was Clark playing the romantic? Lois took the rose, inhaling its sweet fragrance and trying desperately to hold in her gleeful excitement.

As she made her way to the roof of the Planet, the rose still clutched in her hand, she thought of that exciting moment in the future when she had taken off in flight in Superman's arms from the roof… what could Clark be planning?

Her illusions of a romantic rendezvous were smashed as she stepped onto the roof. Ray Sachs was there to greet her, looking smug. The rose suddenly fell from her hand. Lois realized she had been tricked.

Sachs swaggered over to her, his eyes dark with loathing as he spoke. "When you said you had looked into the Blur's heart, I had no idea how close a relationship you had."

"Not that it's any of your business."

He edged closer to her, and Lois suddenly felt trapped. She didn't want Sachs to think he had anything up on her, and if she turned and fled it would mean she had something to hide. Yet, she was nervous about the dangerous glimmer of triumph in his eye.

Sachs sneered. "The safety of the city is always my business, Miss Lane. And now that the VRA has been repealed, I may have to use—other methods to learn the truth about our vigilante menaces. So, tell me the true identity of the Blur, and I will overlook your antics."

Lois decided to gloat instead of flee; if she could intimidate him with what she knew, just maybe she could convince him to drop chasing down the Blur. "You talk a good game, counselor," she said, blustering more confidence than she felt. "But you don't believe a word of it. All your shady backroom deals with organized crime have just come home to roost. I've picked out a nice little font for my exposé: 'Shady Sachs Sucks the City Dry'."

He laughed, the smug grin still on his face. "I have another story in mind, Miss Lane. And you're standing right on it," he said, his voice dripping with sinister overtones.

Lois looked down, and saw the Blur's emblem painted on the ground. She felt her blood run cold, understanding his implication immediately.

"'The Blur Murders Lois Lane,'" he snickered. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"No one would believe you," she said a little weakly, her eyes riveted on the symbol, imaging how such a thing would devastate Clark if Sachs could get away with it.

Sachs crossed his arms and shook his head, enjoying intimidating Lois. "Honey, when the Blur decided not to come forward, he put the ball back in my court. The VRA was just the easy way – there are more than one ways to catch a fish. All it takes is a little doubt."

Lois glanced up at Sachs, feeling her courage come back. "You don't give people enough credit. Why would the Blur suddenly turn into a murderer?" she snapped.

Sachs, enjoying his cat and mouse game, chuckled as he shook his head at Lois' naiveté. "You announced to millions that you knew his true identity."

Sachs was too confident by half, and Lois suddenly feared that maybe he had more cards hiding up his sleeve that she didn't know about. She quickly turned to bolt for the door, and his hand was revealed as she was stopped by two goons, who grabbed her on either side.

"You're the one who's hiding in the shadows, not the Blur. You coward!" she called, struggling to get free of Sachs' goons.

Sachs, as arrogant as ever, shook his head disdainfully, obviously enjoying her struggle. "Unfortunately, that's not a story you're going to get to write."

He nodded towards his hired help, and the lackeys easily chucked her over the side of the building.

Lois felt her stomach lurch under her, and she flailed to reach for anything to grab a hold on. Amazingly, her grip found a flagpole, though just barely. She reached up with her other hand, and kicked her legs to try and gain some leverage with the wall to climb up. Lois happened to glance down, and could see a crowd of people were gathering to see what was going on.

She thought for one hopeless moment that she would slip and plummet to her death… that she would never see Clark again or see him become the hero that she knew he would be someday. She thought about the future, and how it had already been changed by stopping Zod. Maybe this is where Lois Lane should end… maybe Clark didn't need her to become Superman…

Her grip started to slip and worse, she could hear the creaking of the pole, indicating that it wouldn't hold her weight for much longer.

"Where are you, Clark?" she whispered forlornly.

"Right here," he said, his voice close and comforting. Lois suddenly felt herself slip away from the flagpole, only to be wrapped in Clark's arms.

"Sssuu-?" she began, surprised to see him in the suit. "What are you doing? It's too soon –"

"I'm ready to embrace the light, Lois. The world needs a hero, and if I can be that hero –"

"Clark, you can't take me down there. There are cameras, and they will see you. They might [i]recognize[i] you. We need time to create distance between Clark Kent and—" she splayed her hands over the 'S' on his uniform. "Superman," she whispered.

"Superman? Really?" he asked in surprise.

She shrugged. "Your future self seemed pretty content with the name…"

Clark looked down at the crowd below them, the Wonder Twins had a fog over the area; no one could see what was going on above.

"Tell you what?" he said, taking her back to the roof. "I'll give you the exclusive interview and let you introduce –Superman—to the world. They don't need to see my face yet, but they do need to know I'm here and that I mean well."

He set her down on the roof, and she took in the sight of him in all his splendor. Here he was, Superman, just like she had seen in the future, in his blue spandex suit and scarlet cape, swishing in the wind.

Lois took in a deep breath, and nodded, seeming to steady herself. "I'm ready if you are."

"I can't do it alone, Lois, but I think it's time the world meets—Superman," he said. "I'll meet you in the bull pen in a few minutes… I want to take care of Sachs and his goons first-"

"Clark!" she called, but he was already off. Lois ran to the edge of the building that she had been dangling from mere moments ago. She could see his red and blue streak over the spectators. The fog was dissipating, but she could still see a tight red and blue blur near what had to be Sachs' limo—Superman was taking care of business.

Lois watched in delight. Even from the roof of the Planet she could see the crowd had noticed the red and blue hero. Clark didn't stop long enough for anyone to get a good look at him. But people definitely noticed.

It wouldn't be long now before Clark could be seen as Superman… he was ready to fully embrace his destiny, to become that amazing man she had met in the future.

Lois couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she made her way back to the bull pen, ready to write her first Superman story…


	13. Chapter 13

~Epilogue~

Clark was folding his laundry when he heard the front door open. He turned around, and smiled to see it was Lois.

"Hey," he called over his shoulder. "I'm almost ready."

"You're taking me flying – you'd better hurry! This girl is impatient to celebrate!" she said, laying that morning's copy of the Daily Planet on top of the pile of laundry.

"'Superman saves the day,'" he read the headline aloud. "Isn't that a little… I don't know—much?"

"Clark, look at me," she said, grabbing him by the shoulders to face her. "You're a hero. The world knows it now – and the best part is, Clark Kent can still be the average guy… you'll see."

"I hope so—still haven't gotten used to the glasses, though. I bought some new ones yesterday—what to do you think?" he asked, reaching into a drawer to pull out a pair of thick, black glasses.

Lois stifled a chuckle. "You're adorable, Clark. No matter what you wear…And Superman," she sighed dreamily, just to tease him. "Well… he told me he's taking me flying—so let's hurry and finish this laundry!"

She reached over to the basket to give him a hand. "Don't expect this kind of treatment every day," she said, gamely helping him sort his clothes. "You DO wear an awful lot of blue and red, though…" she giggled, pulling out a pair of red underwear.

"Hey!" he said, snatching it out of her hand.

"Clark, I think you're blushing!" she teased, reaching back into the laundry basket.

She pulled out a worn black t-shirt, and it gave her sudden pause. There was a large gash through the front of it. Her smile faded as she fingered the rent in the shirt. "Why do you still have this?" she whispered, all levity gone at the memory the shirt brought to mind.

He gently took it from her to fold it. "To remind myself that I am not always invincible."

"Clark, when I saw you that day—" she began hesitantly.

"Wait, you saw me?" he said, his eyes searching hers. "How?"

Lois paused a moment, but then continued. "I—I had just come back. From the future. And you—your future self warned me that you were in danger… I -reappeared on the roof of the Planet—Clark, the longest moment of my life was the space between me arriving back in the present and finding you on the ground. I thought—I thought you were dead."

"Loisss," he said, caressing her name, and pulling her into his embrace. "What did you do?"

She stepped back just enough to look at him, and Clark was surprised by the tears he saw in her eyes. "The only thing I could do – I pulled the stake from your chest."

Again, he drew her to him, kissing her gently at her temple. "Lois—you saved me."

She wiped her eyes, and then they lit up with a smile once more. "It's only fair, Smallville," she said quietly but full of warmth. "You save me on a regular basis… " She suddenly turned back to the laundry basket, shaking off her burst of emotion as she folded his last pair of jeans. "Chores' all done," she said brightly, hefting the basket onto her hip to take upstairs. "So, about that flight?"

~\S/~

Lois stood on the porch in the late afternoon, the prettiest time of day in Smallville, in her opinion. The wheat fields looked golden in the sunlight. The light blue sky beckoned to her – she couldn't wait to fly in Clark's arms into that endless expanse…

Clark joined her on the porch a moment later, carrying an old winter jacket she had left at the Kent's ages ago.

"What's that for?"

"I don't want you to get cold—" he said a little shyly, holding it out for her to step into.

"Just, where are we going, exactly?" she asked as she zipped up the coat.

"Well, you'll see- are you ready?"

She nodded, and he suddenly spun into the Superman suit.

"Looks like we are going in style at least!"

Clark scooped her up in his arms, and they were suddenly taking off to the skies. Flying over the plains of Kansas was almost as spectacular as flying over the spires of Metropolis. Clark held her close. She could hear his cape fluttering behind him; his eyes were fixed on hers and not the direction they were flying, though she trusted with her whole being that he knew exactly where they were going.

After a few moments, he landed them on an old water tower. The sun was about to set in the distance, the fields looking like golden fire on the horizon.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Lois said, suddenly turning to face Clark –Superman. Lois couldn't help her hungry appraisal of how he looked in the suit—the royal blue spandex outlined all of his best features. The memory of his body close to hers during their flight was still warm on her skin...

She watched him as he pulled out from somewhere under his cape a golden ring, threaded through with a long gold chain. His face was ponderous, but when he looked up at her, his eyes seemed to lighten with purpose.

He stepped towards her, his blue eyes searching hers as he gently placed the long chain over her shoulders. "Lois, you have taught me so many things – how to believe in myself, how to be the Blur—even how to become Superman."

She was about to speak, but he raised his fingers gently to her lips. "Wait, let me finish—This ring, is the Legion ring. It is what took you to the future, and what brought you back to me. I want you to keep it safe – as I trust you will keep _our_ future safe…"

He took a step back from her, and sweeping his scarlet cape behind him, he knelt before her, holding out another smaller, silver ring. "As you keep our future safe, I want to ask, in this moment, here and now—would you be my wife? Would you be there for me, as I promise to be there for you? You lift me up Lois, higher than I can fly," he said, gesturing to the sky above them. He suddenly stood, his warm hand reaching for hers, and his voice softened, struggling with great emotion. "And you ground me… You keep me sane in my insane life. I trust you to know parts of me that I don't know of myself… Lois, will you marry me?"

Lois touched the Legion ring he had placed in her possession, understanding the significance of trusting her with it. She cupped his hand that held the silver ring, gently patting the pure diamond that capped it. One silver, one gold – both representing aspects of his heart and his person. He was entrusting her with all of it—with all of _him_.

"Clark," she started, her other hand going to his jaw, feather light in its touch. "All I have wanted was you. To love you, and for you to trust me… even when I didn't understand why… I want to stand by you, help you- And I'll be there when you need saving, too," she said quietly, thinking of the blue stake she rescued him from. "Of course I'll marry you, Smallville. I wouldn't have it any other way."

His face lit up with a smile. Clark Kent was handsome even when he was brooding. But as an ebullient Superman, he was simply breathtaking.

He took her hand in his, and both of them were surprised that hers was trembling slightly. He kissed her fingers, stilling them on his lips, then slipped the silver ring onto her left hand.

Clark gathered her to him, his eyes searched hers, and joyously found the confirmation of love there. Like magnets seeking home, their lips suddenly met in an explosive kiss. The last and strongest rays of the setting sun seemed to light on them. Lois felt the warmth of it, the warmth of Clark's kiss… and forever after, the warm rays of the sun would always make her think of him.

~\S/~

They landed at the Fortress a short time later. Even a visit to the ice palace didn't dampen Lois' spirit though. Clark set her down inside, but didn't let go of her hand. She took comfort in the solid weight of it in hers, wondering how Jor-El would take their news.

"So, how does one ask for permission to marry on Krypton?" she asked a little nervously.

"The last time Kara was in town, she told me that the head of the House had to approve all life unions."

"Life unions? Will you stop being so romantic?" she teased.

"Kal-El, my son," came a voice from above them, "You have returned."

Clark stepped forward, not letting go of Lois' hand. "Jor-El, I come here today, as a Kryptonian, as a member of your House, and your son," he said clearly, his voice echoing against the ice that surrounded them. "In honor of our home, I'm here to declare my desire to start a life bond with this woman—Lois Lane."

"Lois Lane, have you learned the weight of responsibility that rests on both of your shoulders? Do you understand what it means to unite with my son?"

Lois stepped forward, letting go of Clark's hand for the moment. She didn't want to appear weak to Jor-El, even if she trembled inwardly at the sound of his voice.

"I have learned… I have also seen the future. I understand what it means to love Cl—er, Kal-El. I understand that there may be sacrifice in the future for the greater good – and I also understand that our love will see us through whatever lies ahead," she finished, directing her last words at Clark.

Clark's eyes met hers, confirming her words and convictions.

Clark came forward once again to clasp Lois' hand. "We pledge to stand by each other. And I pledge to honor the House of El, and protect the people of Earth," Clark said, then turning to Lois. "But I can only do so if this woman is by my side."

"Very well…" said the voice above and around them. "Lois Lane, do you truly wish to initiate a life union with my son?"

Lois squeezed Clark's hand, happily preparing herself to say the words that she hoped to say in front of all their family and friends very soon. "I do."

Silence seemed to ring for a moment in the ice cave, as they both waited for a response.

"Your pledge is observed," Jor-El finally responded.

"I think that's as good as 'you may now kiss the bride' as we're going to get," Lois nudged, smiling happily up at Clark.

He grinned back at her, then leaned down to oblige her.

"Wouldn't want to disappoint my new bride," he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"You could never disappoint, Clark," she answered, her mouth suddenly seeking his.

Even in the cold, alien ice cave, wrapped in Clark's arms, held by his gentle strength, Lois felt for the first time that she had truly come home. Not all of her adventures in the future, though, could have prepared her for this moment, this feeling of belonging. She knew it was the beginning of something extraordinary, something rare and special that they would both protect for as long as they lived.

She felt lighter all of the sudden, and glanced around, seeing that they were floating a few feet above the snow-packed floor. She clung tighter to Clark, her arms coming around his neck to bring him to her for another kiss.

"Looks like we're floating…" she murmured through a smile.

"Don't worry, Lois. I've got you," he said playfully, pulling her in closer.

She settled her head on his chest, enjoying their closeness and their special kind of embrace, imagining that they could stay like this forever. "Never had any doubt, Smallville. Never had any doubt…"


End file.
